Kiss Kiss
by Lady of the Ink
Summary: 30 oneshot fics featuring Kyou and Kagura for the 30Kisses LiveJournal Community Challenge.
1. Kiss 1: A Shocking Encounter

**Kiss Kiss  
By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing:** _Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom:** _Fruits Basket_  
**Theme:** #3- Jolt!  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss One  
**_A Shocking Encounter_

* * *

Kyou sat hunched on one side of Shigure's roof, watching impatiently as the writer, Tohru, and the damn rat made their way into the trees. It figured - and was just his luck - that everyone was leaving except for the one person that he wanted gone the most.

Kagura had arrived just as they were finishing lunch. Everything had been fine for a total of five minutes . . .right up until she'd caught sight of him trying to slip from the room. The next thing that he knew, he was being slammed into the floor under the weight of an obsessive female on his back. Her arms had locked around his neck until he had a hard time breathing. Years of experience with just such a situation had taught him that the best thing to do was go limp until she loosened her grip enough for him to break free.

He did manage to get loose; unfortunately, that was as far as his freedom went. Before he could take more than two crawling steps and three shaky gasps, her hands locked on his shirt and tugged. There was a brief sense of weightlessness as he flew through the air before he slammed back to earth - and right into the table.

One of the legs had snapped under the force of the impact, sending him sliding to the ground amidst broken dishes and mashed food. He'd barely had time to wonder exactly what the squishy puddle beneath his elbow was before Kagura flew at him again. Her exuberance had sent them both through the door to the sound of Shigure's piteous wails.

The rough landing in the rocky yard had seemed to bring Kagura back to herself. She'd paused with a look of horror when she had caught sight of his battered state. Kyou had used the opening to make a run for it, heading into the woods that surrounded the house. He'd watched and waited until the coast was clear before circling back to the safe haven of the roof. After pulling the ladder up after himself to be sure that he wouldn't be bothered, he'd settled in to wait until Kagura left.

From the safety of his sunlit perch, he'd clearly heard Kagura's apologies over Tohru's moans of distress about the mess and Yuki's attempts to calm her. It was with mixed feelings that he listened to Kagura's insistence that she clean up everything that had been destroyed while the others went for a walk. On the one hand, it meant that she would be around even longer. But on the other, it meant she would be too occupied with repairs to come looking for him. He decided to look at it as a glass half full and settled in for a nap.

Just before he would have fallen asleep, a strangled cry met his ears. It was followed by a loud crash and a heavy thud before everything fell silent once more. He remained motionless for several long moments as he tried to think of an explanation for the sounds that he had just heard. Since he'd seen Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure leave by hadn't heard them return, he knew that the only one in the house was Kagura.

He resisted the urge to groan. While he knew that he should go down and see what had happened, he really didn't want to. The numerous bruises that were still throbbing from her earlier greeting had him hesitating at the thought of facing her again. They would be alone together this time and that never boded well for his health.

Even as he deliberated with himself, he kept his attention focused on the house below him. He was hoping desperately for some sound that would make investigating unnecessary. More and more time passed without so much as a murmur, however, and he felt the first twinges of worry. There was a chance that something had happened to her. With the others gone for who knew how long, he was the only one around to check. A groan of resignation escaped him as he moved to the edge of the roof.

Immediately after hitting the ground, Kyou started looking around. He wasn't about to walk into an ambush if he could help it. Once he was sure that the yard was clear, he cautiously made his way to the house. Stepping into the kitchen, he saw that the remains of lunch had all been put away. The dishes had been washed and were drying in the rack next to the sink. Everything appeared to be in its place but there was no sign of Kagura.

Walking as quietly as he could, he moved onto the next room. He paused at the threshold and poked just his head into the dining room. Once he was sure that he hadn't been seen, he took tow tentative steps into the room. The overturned table had been righted, its leg reattached, and all the spilled food had been cleaned up. Every shard of the broken dishes had been removed. While the door was still demolished, the supplies to fix it had been laid out neatly to one side.

A frown grew on Kyou's face as he continued to prowl the room. Evidence of the work that Kagura had been doing were everywhere but the girl herself was noticeable absent. Since there were only two rooms that had been damaged and he'd already been through both of them, he should have seen some sign of her. Even if she had just gone into another room, he still should have been able to hear her.

Something just didn't feel right.

His original reluctance was forgotten as worry took over. Kyou knew that he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew what had happened and was certain that she was okay. He would search every room of the house if he had in order to find her.

He had just turned to start that search when a flash of white caught his eye. Moving closer, he saw that it was the tip of a stocking-covered foot. Rushing towards it, he came upon a sight that made him stop in his tracks.

Kagura lay sprawled on the floor, her arms out flung and one leg bent. A tipped over chair was on its side a few feet away. He could only guess that it was the source of the crash that he had heard earlier. Kagura hitting the floor would account for both the shriek and the thud.

As he stood looking down at her, another image popped into his mind. Another woman lat on the floor before him, much too still. Lighter hair, almost the same color as his own, haloed her head and framed her colorless face.

A shudder wracked his body as Kyou came back to the moment at hand. Forcing himself to focus on Kagura, he hurried to her side and dropped to his knees. Now that he was closer, he got his first good look at her face. The first thing that he noticed was that her eyes were closed, her eyelashes dark fans against cheeks pale enough to rise to a new wave of concern. There seemed to be no color at all in her face, a fact the worried him more than he was willing to admit even to himself. Shaking it off, he began looking for injuries, starting with her arms and legs. Being careful not to move her, he looked over each limb one at a time. Aside from a small and fading bruise on her left knee, everything seemed to be fine.

Kyou heaved a sigh, a little uncertain of what to do next. He could go looking for the others, but he wouldn't feel right leaving Kagura on her own. He could call Hatori, but what if it was nothing serious? Shigure would never let him live it down. To be safe, he figured he should finish looking her over before deciding what to do.

He hesitated slightly as he moved his examination on to her head, wanting to check her but not wanting to inadvertently cause more problems. His worry finally urged him to action, albeit with the utmost caution. Making sure not to move her neck, he slowly pushed his fingers through her hair to look for bumps or cuts. The silky strands looped around his hand until he had to fan them outward to keep them from getting tangled and pulling.

It wasn't long until his questing fingers located a bump on the back of her head. It was quite swollen but not bleeding. Its placement was exactly where he would have expected it to be if she had fallen off the chair and hit the floor on her back. The question of why she would have been standing on a chair in the first place still remained.

Kyou looked away from Kagura long enough to scan the surrounding area. The quick glance landed on an off center light fixture and the wires protruding from it. His brow furrowed as a thought occurred to him and he quickly checked her hands. The left one was fine but the fingers on her right hand were red and slightly blackened. It looked like she had seen the twisted light and pulled the chair over so that she could reach it. As she was fixing it, her fingers must have brushed against the exposed wires and she'd gotten shocked. It had either startled her off balance or the force of the jolt was enough to send her off the chair and into the hall, which was why he hadn't seen her right away.

Kyou's heart slammed against his chest as her unconscious state took on a new, more dire possibility. Taking a tumble and being knocked out for a few minutes was nothing; it had happened to all of them at one time or another during Shisho's training and their own fights. Getting enough electricity pumped through you to put you out cold was another matter entirely.

The picture of his mother threatened to rise again and he shook his head forcefully to clear it. He reached out with hands that shook just a little and began patting her cheeks. When that got no response, he patted harder and called her name. Still nothing.

Swallowing hard, he rested his hands on her chest to try and find a pulse. When he couldn't feel anything at first, a spurt of panic shot through him. He quickly leaned forward so that he could rest his ear directly against the front of her shirt. The strong, steady beating that reached him at last made him sag with relief. Although it seemed faster than it should have been, he was just glad that it was there. At least that was one thing that he didn't have to worry about.

When their penchants for beating each other senseless had become a nuisance, Hatori had insisted on teaching them all basic first aid. Calling on those lessons, Kyou mentally checked off the steps for someone who was unconscious but who's condition was otherwise unknown. He'd checked her for injuries and found her pulse. The move was to make sure that she was breathing.

As he was leaning forward to check, two things happened simultaneously. The first was that the sounds of Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure's return drifted in through the kitchen. The second was that two arms wound themselves around his neck and pulled him downward without warning.

* * *

Kagura smiled at the feeling of warmth coursing through her body. The sunlit garden where she was walking was the perfect example of a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and a gentle breeze danced about, keeping the day from being too warm. If things were any more perfect, she thought she might burst from happiness.

Finding a better outlet than bursting, she turned to the silent boy at her side. Kyou walked slowly, his hands tucked into his pockets. He seemed to be studying each of the flowerbeds that lined the path as they passed them.

Kagura delicately cleared her throat to get his attention. When their eyes met, his face lit up with a smile bright enough to cause a catch in her throat. Without saying a word, he reached out and took one of her hands in his own. An excited little tingle danced up her arm as they continued their walk hand in hand.

It was all just a dream, of course. She had known that from the moment that Kyou had appeared in front of her and suggested the walk. That didn't mean she was going to enjoy it any less. Dreams were the one place she could truly be happy with the boy she loved and so she always made the most of them.

A sigh drifted from her lips, catching the attention of Kyou. She shook off his questioning look but he drew her to a stop with a frown. He ran his fingers though her hair before gently framing her face between his hands. Staring deeply into her eyes, he said, "If there's something bothering you, you can tell me. I don't like to see you depressed."

"I'm okay. Really." He didn't seem totally convinced by her halfhearted reply, but he did start walking again. Kagura let her eyes drop to the path beneath their feet. There was always something bittersweet about these dreams. While having a kind, loving, and attentive Kyou was wonderful, it also reminded her that it was something she was unlikely to ever get for real. Kyou would rather run away than walk by her side and was much more likely to snarl at her to go home than ask what was wrong.

Which was all the more reason to savor the moments her subconscious mind concocted. This was as close as she was likely to get to having Kyou, and she didn't want to waste a single moment of it.

Turning to the Kyou who wasn't Kyou, she gave him her broadest smile and squeezed his hand. Almost as though they had planned it, they both took off running at the same time. Giggling and playfully taunting each other, they had an impromptu race to a bench in the distance. Kyou pulled ahead from the beginning but slowed at the end so that the race finished in a tie.

As they both stopped to catch their breath by the side of the wrought iron bench, Kagura suddenly swayed on her feet. She frowned as a strange feeling began to drift over her. It was like she was being pulled upward; as though she had fallen into the water and some source of buoyancy was lifting her back to the surface without any effort on her part. From somewhere above her came the faint sound of her name being called over and over again.

It suddenly dawned on her what was happening. Someone was trying to wake her up.

Wanting to hold onto the dream for as long as she could, Kagura turned to her Kyou. Reaching for him with an emotion that bordered on desperation, she clasped his cheeks between her hands and kissed him for all that she was worth. Focusing on nothing but the feel of his lips beneath her own and the warmth of his cheeks against her palms, she fought to block out all other feelings and sounds.

'One more minute', she thought to herself. 'Just give me one more minute with him before I wake up where he can't stand me.'

Fate was obviously against her as the disembodied voice returned . . .only it sounded different this time. It was almost as though several people were talking now. One even seemed to be . . .laughing?

Kagura's eyes shot open to an unexpected sight. Crimson eyes stared back at her, wide and just a little panicked. She realized that she had her arms around Kyou's neck and that the kiss she had thought was just part of the dream had actually happened. Was still happening. As soon as that thought sank in, she dropped her arms and sat up. Kyou scooted as far away from her as quickly as he could, slamming into the wall behind him with an audible thud.

The sound of hysterical laughter finally made Kagura look away from Kyou and focus on the rest of the room. Yuki and Tohru stood in the doorway, Yuki's face blank and Tohru's a bit stunned. Shigure was standing just in front of them, doubled over with the force of his laughter.

Her mind raced to make sense of what was going on. As the pieces started clicking into place, she realized what had happened and what people walking in might have thought was happening. It certainly explained Kyou's haunted look and Shigure's uncontrollably amusement.

As the entire picture and all the ways that it would come back to bite her in the butt unfolded, a single, coherent thought formed in her mind.

'Oh, crap.'

Kyou watched from the roof as the slender figure made her way down the path. After more than an hour of trying to explain what had happened to a mocking Yuki and a giggling Shigure, Kyou had given up and retreated to the roof. Kagura had continued the effort but apparently had no better luck at convincing them that what they'd seen wasn't what they thought they'd seen. Just moments before, he'd clearly heard her exasperated shout that she was going home.

Without any conscious thought, one hand lifted until his fingertips brushed against his lips. His mind wandered back to the moment when Kagura had pulled him down and kissed him. The instant that their lips had met, he could have sworn there was a . . .spark, almost. It was like a burst of energy had shot up between them, connecting them for an instant in time.

Realizing what he was doing, he jerked his hand away from his mouth and glared at it. The entire thing was just in his head. There had been no spark, no feeling of any kind between them. She'd just caught him off guard, jumping him when he thought she was unconscious. Anything he thought he might have felt was just a figment of his imagination, or some leftover electricity from her shock. Nothing more. Really.

Yeah.

..:The End:..


	2. Kiss 2: Ribbons and Remembrances

**Kiss Kiss  
**By_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing:** _Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom:** _Fruits Basket_  
**Theme:** #11- Gardenia  
**Disclaimer:**I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**x **

**Kiss Two  
**_Ribbons and Remembrances_

**x**

Kagura Sohma stared at her reflection with eyes that kept misting over. Her complexion was slightly paler than usual with the exception of the dark blush that tinted her cheeks. Even though it was the same face that she had looked upon every day of her life, there seemed to be an alien quality about it at that moment. There was something in her eyes, a new depth brought on by a mix of excitement, fear, and anticipation.

She closed her eyes and pulled in a deep, shuddering breath. When she opened them again she was filled with a sense of utter calm. She was ready for what was about to happen.

A quiet knock on the door finally pulled her attention away from the mirror. Kagura turned to see her mother crossing the room. She stopped by the side of the chair, smiling with just a tinge of sadness.

"It's almost time," she said softly. Kagura just nodded in response, not trusting herself to talk without crying. If the tears started flowing, there wouldn't be time to redo the makeup she had taken nearly an hour to apply.

It was her mother's turn to take a heavy breath. "I just can't believe my baby girl is getting married. It seems like just yesterday I was bringing you home for the very first time." She paused, visibly choked up. Kagura climbed to her feet as quickly as her billowing gown would allow and clasped her mother's hands between her own. She was a little surprised to note that they were shaking.

"No matter how old I get or where I go in my life, I'm always going to be your little girl. You know that, right?" The older woman nodded and Kagura gave a watery laugh. "Good. Now get out there and tell them I'm ready before you start crying and make me start crying because if I start crying I'm not going to be able to stop."

Both women smiled before Mrs. Sohma pulled her hands free. Resting them along either side of her daughter's face, she leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You look beautiful, sweetheart." She smoothed an errant strand of hair into place beneath Kagura's veil before stepping away. As she passed a small stand on the way to the door, she paused and picked up the square white box that rested there. "Oh, and this came for you just a little while ago."

Kagura accepted the box and watched her mother's exit through emotion-glazed eyes. It was several moments before she looked down at the package in her hands. It was stamped with the name of a local florist and tied with a silky length of mint green ribbon. A small frown pulled at her mouth as her eyes flickered to where her bouquet rested on a chair by the door. She'd overseen the flower orders herself and not only had they all been delivered earlier that morning, none of the arrangements had come from the shop named on the box.

More than a little curious, Kagura quickly tugged the ribbon loose and removed the lid. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart slammed in her chest as she saw what it contained. As she looked down at the single, perfect white gardenia that nestled there, a flood of memories rushed through her mind.

**x**

She stood at the edge of a garden, a white sheet wrapped toga style around her. A bedraggled wreath of daisies - the best her six-year-old fingers could manage - rested on top of her head. She clutched a second bunch of the flowers in her hands as she began a slow, dignified walk down an imaginary path.

"You look funny." The voice broke the solemn air of the moment and she shot a frustrated look at the speaker. He was sitting off to one side, huddled down and watching her through a mop of orange hair.

"This is how it's supposed to look."

"Are you sure?" His crimson eyes looked dubious.

"Of course I'm sure. I'm older than you and besides that, I was just at a wedding. I remember exactly how it went." Her expression turned dreamy as her imagination took over. "My wedding's going to be just like that one, outside with the band and the ribbons and the flowers. Except everything won't be pink like that one was; it'll be green, really light green, you know? And I won't have roses 'cause everybody has roses. I want gardenias at mine. My mom let me wear some of her perfume that smells like them and it's the prettiest thing I've ever smelled."

Straightening her headpiece, she returned to the starting point. Making sure her audience was watching with proper awe, she slowly began her walk through the garden once more, her mind filled with the sound of imagined music and clapping guests.

**x**

A shaky sigh fluttered the edges of her lacey veil as she stared down at the blossom in disbelief. Even though there was no card, she knew that it was from Kyou. He was the only one she had ever told those arrangements to and so he was the only one who could have been behind the last minute delivery.

Nothing could have stopped the tears that flowed down her cheeks at that moment and she couldn't have cared less. Her heart was bursting with the emotion that his gift had raised. He'd remembered one conversation from twenty years ago and had taken the time to act on it. It was almost more than she could accept as real.

Music floated into the room and Kagura jerked at the reminder of what she should be doing. Following an impulse, she pulled the flower from the box and tucked it amongst the white lilies of her bouquet. The green ribbon from the box was wrapped around the stems, hidden from sight beneath her hand. Leaving the now empty package behind, she hurried out the door.

As she made her way down the aisle, Kagura came to a few realizations. Although the wedding wasn't in a garden, the decorations were yellow, and the flowers were lilies, she wouldn't have changed a thing about the ceremony. And even though she was about to bind her life to another man, a part of her heart would always belong to her first love, who had done his best to help make her dream come true.


	3. Kiss 3: Blindsided

**Kiss Kiss  
By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing:** _Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom:** _Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: #12-** In A Good Mood  
**Disclaimer:**# I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

x

**Kiss Three  
**_Blindsided_

_x_

Kyou never saw it coming.

He'd walked through the door feeling better than he had in days. The rain that had been falling steadily for a week had finally stopped the night before. He's woken up to bright sunshine and an amazing burst of energy. Leaving Kagura still in bed asleep, he'd gone for a walk through the quiet streets surrounding their home.

After wandering for an hour or so and making a few stops along the way, he finally turned towards home. Upon entering, he'd heard noise from the kitchen and guessed that Kagura was up. He'd found her at the table, still in her pajamas and tousled with sleep. She'd smiled sleepily when she caught sight of him and he'd been unable to resist the desire to lean in and kiss her good morning.

That was when all hell had broken loose.

The moment their lips had connected, Kagura had jerked away like she'd been shocked. Jumping up from the table, she'd glared at him with accusing eyes. He watched, a bit stunned by the sudden (even for her) mood swing. Before he could get out so much as a word of question or concern, she laid into him.

"Kyou Sohma, how could you? You have done some mean things over the years but this could be the worst one yet! I wake up and my husband's gone, but I think 'That's okay. He's just enjoying the nice day, taking an early walk. He'll be back soon.' I never imagined that you were out there doing something so . . .so _despicable_!"

Tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled slightly. Kyou felt a tightness in his chest and stretched a hand out towards her but she quickly slapped it away. Sniffling, she continued her accusing tirade. "Did you think you could get away with it? Could you have possibly believed that I wouldn't notice? God, you didn't even bother to get rid of the smell! And then you have the audacity to come in here and _kiss_ me and I _tasted_ . . ."

Her words trailed off into sobs and she brushed past him to run from the room. He followed her quick footsteps back up the stairs just in time to have the bedroom door slammed in his face. Trying the knob and finding it locked, he leaned his head against the wood and sighed.

"Kagura," he called gently, "please open the door. We can talk about this." The stream of muffled words that came at him made his jaw clench. Feeling a little less accommodating, he'd banged a fist against the door. "Come on, Kagura! This is not that big of a deal! You're completely overreacting, like always."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted him. They were just going to make her angrier, and the angrier she got, the longer she would make him yell through the door before she'd unlock it. He decided to try a calmer approach. Raking a hand through his hair, he took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm sorry. I guess that I gave into temptation, but it was just a little slip. If it makes you feel any better, I couldn't even finish!"

Apparently it didn't make her feel any better. Kyou jerked back when something heavy slammed into the door before falling to the floor with a thud. He groaned as he realized that he'd have to spend the afternoon replacing whatever item of his it was that she'd thrown this time. His own temper flared as he realized she had no intention of listening to anything he had to say at the moment. Making he made plenty of noise, he stormed down the stairs and into the living room. Throwing himself into a chair, he fumed to himself.

Everyone had told him that marriage had its ups and downs and he'd known it would be more than true about marriage to Kagura. They had volatile tempers and it was just too easy to set each other off. He'd thought that he's prepared himself for all the changes, braced himself for all the problems that were sure to come up. He'd worked on his patience and tried to get better at "communicating".

Even with all of that, here they were. She was locked in their bedroom, quite likely destroying his possessions while he sat in the living room, filled with anger and guilt. And all of that over something as stupid as a piece of bacon.

And he'd been in such a good mood, too.


	4. Kiss 4: The Next Best Thing

**Kiss Kiss  
By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing:** _Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom:** _Fruits Basket_  
**Theme:** #18- Say Ah  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**x**

**x**

**Kiss Four  
**_The Next Best Thing_

**x**

**x**

Kagura stood in the middle of the small office feeling slightly ill at ease. Although she had agreed immediately when Hatori had mentioned needing some help, now that she was there she was unsure of where to start. His regular assistant had been out sick for nearly a week already due to a nasty bug that had been making its way through the family. That same problem had resulted in giving Hatori a much heavier caseload than usual and caused a backlog of filing and other paperwork.

Looking at the stacks of folders and jotted notes piled on the desk, she squared her shoulders and gave a nod of determination. Her method of choice for tackling projects was to jump right in with everything that she had and this time was no different. With that in mind, she took a seat in the desk chair and reached for the largest stack.

The next two hours passed quickly as Kagura worked diligently. Her organizing was interspersed with various other duties like answering the phone, scheduling appointments, and helping with the simpler duties for some of the patients. She soon became an old hand at taking temperatures, handing out lollipops, and listing the tried and true remedies of bed rest and lots of liquids.

She was just contemplating taking a break for lunch when a loud voice caught her attention. Laying aside the appointment book after marking her page with a pen, Kagura rose to her feet. She crossed the room quickly and poked her head into the waiting area that adjoined it. What she saw made her freeze in place.

An obviously irritated Kyou stood by the door, trying his best to go through it. His attempt was being thwarted by the ever calm Yuki, who had one hand gripping Kyou's shirt. The enraged orange haired boy was yelling about revenge and sleeping with one eye open. There was more to his tirade but Kagura couldn't make out his exact words through his coughing fits and hoarse voice.

Just as she was debating what to do, Hatori made a timely entrance. It took only one look from him for Kyou to go from shouting terror to sulking child.

The quiet that came from the end of his outburst was enough to let Kagura hear Yuki's explanation. Apparently Kyou had been running a fever for a few days but refused to do anything about it. It had finally gotten to the point where Tohru was worrying herself into a frenzy, which was incentive enough for Yuki to take action. He had taken it upon himself to drag the highly unwilling Kyou to see Hatori "because they all got enough whining from Shigure and didn't need Kyou joining in to make it worse."

Hatori nodded in understanding before leading the now subdued Kyou off to one of the exam rooms. Kagura watched Yuki take a seat in the corner before ducking back into the office. She leaned against the wall, feeling torn. There was a huge part of her that wanted nothing more than to run to Kyou to see if he was all right and to nurse him through his illness. But there was also a part of her that remembered the bittersweet words that he had spoken not so long ago that caused her to hesitate.

In the end, the second part of her won out. As she forced herself to resume her seat behind the desk, she also worked to convince herself that it was for the best. If she'd gone barging in there, he would have gotten upset, which couldn't be good for his health. He might also have run without getting the treatment that he obviously needed. If he'd remained, it might have lead to him saying something that she wasn't ready to hear again.

Kagura tried to get back the momentum that she'd had before Kyou's arrival but she knew from the start that it was a lost cause. Only a part of her attention was on the files in front of her; the rest was occupied with what was going on down the hall. When half an hour had passed and she'd accomplished almost nothing, she finally gave up. She slumped back in her chair, accepting that it was useless to try and get any more work done until after he left.

Idly spinning in the chair, she tried to find something to occupy her attention. In the middle of the third rotation her stomach growled, reminding her of her earlier thoughts of lunch. She eyed the door before disregarding the idea of going out. Passing Yuki would mean a stop to explain and it was also close enough to the exam rooms that she was unsure if she could resist the added temptation.

A memory hit her and she reached into the pocket of her skirt. When she withdrew it, it was filled with a dozen or so items that she quickly dropped onto the desk. The lollipops were ones that she had been handing out to the younger patients all morning. She didn't think it would be a problem if she snagged one to tide her stomach over until she was able to slip out for more filling fare.

Leaning over the desk, she quickly sorted out the pile. "Lemon . . .lemon . . .orange . . .cherry . . .grape . . .ah! Strawberry!" Triumphantly holding her favorite flavor aloft, she returned the others to her pocket.

She'd no sooner removed the wrapper and popped the lollipop into her mouth than Hatori appeared in the doorway. "My 1:30 appointment is here and I'm running a little behind. I need you to finish up with Kyou and see him out."

Kagura stared at him silently for a full ten seconds before she gathered herself enough to speak. "I'm not sure that that's such a good idea. We're not exactly . . .on the best terms right now. I might upset him . . ."

"It won't be a problem. Since he hasn't be taking care of himself, his illness is a little worse than the others. I gave him some medicine and he's not in the mood to argue with anyone at the moment." She could have sworn she saw a shadow of humor on his face before he grabbed a chart and headed back through the door.

Shaking off the oddness of seeing that expression on Hatori, Kagura braced herself as best she could. She left the office with a businesslike attitude firmly in place, mentally preparing herself to meet Yuki. But as it turned out, she shouldn't have bothered.

Ayame stood on the far side of the room, having backed Yuki into a corner there. Only his younger brother's hand braced against the center of his chest held him at bay. Even that didn't seem to dim his enthusiasm; his booming laugh filled the room.

The slight pause that his unexpected presence caused was enough for Ayame to catch sight of her. His golden eyes widened as a smile stretched his lips. "Ah! Such a lovely surprise, seeing you here!"

Kagura's nervousness over seeing Kyou momentarily faded as she returned the smile, unable to remain immune to his bright chatter. "Hi Ayame. What brings you by? I hope you're not sick."

"No, no. I heard that my darling younger brother Yuki was here and so I rushed right over. There's nothing so good for the health as the loving attention of an older brother, especially one as exceptional as I. Ha HA!"

A muscle beneath Yuki's eye twitched before he determinedly turned his attention to Kagura. "May I ask why you're here?"

"Hatori's assistant is out sick so I'm filling in."

Yuki nodded his understanding; Ayame's reaction was more vocal. "You should have told me! I have the perfect outfit at the shop. Of course," he added, slowly looking her up and down with a critical eye, "it would have to be taken in . . ."

"That's okay, Ayame." Kagura spoke loudly enough to be heard over his mumbles about measurements and accessories. "I really have to get back to work now." She turned to Yuki with a shake of her head when she saw that Ayame hadn't listened to a word she'd said to him. "I'm going to finish up with Kyou now so you can take him home." She didn't miss the quick flare of relief in his eyes and knew he was looking forward to making his escape. As much as the relationship between the brothers had improved, undiluted Ayame was a lot for anyone to have to handle.

Kagura started down the hall to hide her smile. At the door to the exam room where Kyou was waiting she paused and took a deep breath. The comfort she had gotten from Hatori's words fled and her uneasiness returned full force. What would happen when she stepped inside? Would he yell? Try to run? Ignore her all together?

Kagura felt like a giant rubber band that tightened with every scenario until she knew she would snap. She hated the uncertainty that was eating at her and she knew of only one way to end it. Without giving herself time to think, she reached out to push the door open.

As though drawn there magnetically, her eyes moved to Kyou the moment that she stepped over the threshold. He sat on the exam table with his back to the wall and his head bowed. With his hair covering the top half of his face, she couldn't tell if he saw her or not. For all that she knew he might even be asleep. She quickly decided that she would do all the other tasks before approaching him just in case he became unreasonable.

Hatori had left Kyou's chart on the counter by the door. Kagura picked it up and skimmed over the notes that he had made. She was relieved to see that there was nothing seriously wrong, just the same flu that everyone else seemed to be suffering from. With the careful attention the Tohru was sure to pay him, Kyou would likely make a full recovery in about a week. All that remained was to write out the simple instructions and send him on his way.

Kagura had the list ready less than two minutes later and she knew that it was time to speak to Kyou. He hadn't moved since her entrance into the room and she assumed that he was dozing from the medicine. That assumption was proved correct when she stepped quietly to his side and called his name with no response. Without giving herself time to think about it, she reached out to gently grasp and shake his shoulder. The survival instinct learned from having woken him before urged her to quickly move out of reach just in case he woke up flailing.

Her speedy movements turned out not to be necessary. Kyou made a quiet moaning noise before his eyelashes fluttered. His eyelids lifted in almost slow motion to reveal unfocused crimson eyes.

Kagura waited patiently for him to wake more fully. Seeing the red flush that rode his cheeks had caused a twinge in her chest. She knew how Kyou hated being weak and just how much illnesses grated on him. As rough as the flu that he had could be (as she'd been a first hand witness to all day) she was sure he'd be having a hard time with it.

Although not nearly as rough a time as the people trying to take care of him would have, she knew.

When he blinked hard as he looked at her and a frown pulled at his lips she knew he was aware enough to recognize her. She smiled tentatively and explained again why she was there. "Hatori's with another patient so I just need to give you these and you can go." She offered the instructions to him while mentioning the most important ones out loud. "Make sure that you get plenty of fluids and that you rest as much as you need to, no matter how eager you are to be up and about. Call or come back if your temperature goes up and . . .that's it."

She expected him to be in a hurry to leave. There was a small chance that he might have a question or comment but the most likely scenario had him out the door in under a minute. He never hesitated to get away from her or the doctor's office and so the two together should have had him moving fast enough to leave a trail of smoke behind.

That was why Kagura was stunned motionless when Kyou merely gave her a heavy lidded stare. His attention seemed to be focused on her mouth, leaving her feeling unnerved. She unconsciously brought a hand up to shield her face and that was when she remembered the lollipop sticking out from between her lips. Face flaming at the thought of what she must have looked like with it bobbing as she talked, she pulled it out and wrapped it in a tissue before shoving it into her pocket as quickly as she could.

Any hopes that Kyou would let it go were dashed the moment she caught the growing smirk on his face. She fought the urge to groan and struggled to maintain an air of nonchalance.

"So where's mine?"

The out of the blue question left her staring at him openmouthed for a moment before her brain absorbed what he'd said. Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the words. "Your . . .what? Lollipop?" she asked incredulously.

"Don't all the good patients get one? And I've been good."

There was a tone in his voice that she'd never heard from him before - something dark, rough and smooth at the same time. It wasn't as gruff as a growl; the closest comparison she could think of was, well, a purr.

Feeling more out of sorts with every moment that passed, Kagura suddenly remembered Hatori's out of character amusement when he'd mentioned giving Kyou medication. Was this an effect of whatever he'd been given?

Thinking back on the loopy feeling that she herself had often had when she'd taken certain medicines in the past, she thought that it was the most likely the case. Kyou probably had no idea what he was saying and so she couldn't take anything he might come up with too seriously. She'd just have to humor him until they were finished and she could send him on his way.

Smiling in a way that she hoped was reassuring without giving away the twinge of amusement that she couldn't suppress, Kagura nodded. "Yes, you have been good," she said, deliberately matching her reply to his words and not the tone that had given them another meaning altogether. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the lollipops housed there. With a twist of her hand she fanned them out and offered them to him. "Here you go; take your pick."

Kyou's eyes moved over the treats, studying each one carefully before his gaze returned to her face. "No strawberry?"

Kagura grimaced. "Sorry. I think I had the last one. But there's cherry and grape . . ."

His lower lip thrust out in a pout. "But I wanted strawberry."

It was all that Kagura could do to tamp down the "Aww!" that sprang up at the sight of him. She'd thought she'd seen him at his most adorable on the few occasions that she'd come upon him sleeping. She'd been wrong. Having him _pouting_ in front of her, no matter what the cause, was definitely raising his cuteness bar.

He interrupted her thoughts with a heavy sigh as he scooted to the edge of the exam table. He was now close enough that his knees brushed the bottom of her skirt. "I guess I'll have to settle for the next best thing, then."

Kagura moved to offer him the candy again but his outstretched hand went right past them. It came to rest on the back of her neck as he gently but firmly pulled her head down. Before she had time to do anything but gasp in surprise, his lips locked onto hers.

Kagura was stunned by his sudden action. She couldn't do anything but remain in a state of frozen shock as she felt his tongue sweep over her lips, presumably searching out the traces of strawberry that might linger there. The lollipops fell unnoticed from her hand to the carpeted floor.

Kyou pulled away slowly, looking at her with hooded eyes. He licked his lips. "I guess that'll have to do." Without another word he slipped off the table, picked up the papers she'd given him, and walked out the door with a stride that only weaved slightly.

The moment that he vanished through the doorway Kagura allowed her weak knees to fold and she sank to the floor. One hand drifted to cover her mouth while the other got flattened against the ground for extra support. Her mind was blank but for a single thought.

If this was what it got her, she'd have to seriously consider playing doctor more often.


	5. Kiss 5: Where Life Leads

**Kiss Kiss  
****By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#20- The Road Home  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . . I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**x**

**x**

**Kiss Five  
**_Where Life Leads_

**x**

**x**

The road was nothing special, a little outdated by modern standards even. The tightly packed dirt was dotted here and there with weeds and plants that had managed to force their way through. Its sides were lined with wildflowers and leafy shrubs, adding to the gently wild feel of the area.

Kyou Sohma stood at the beginning of the path with a large duffel bag at his feet. The orange strands of hair being ruffled by the wind were the only movements of his otherwise motionless frame. His full attention was focused on the house that stood at the other end of the road. It was a simple two-story structure with fresh tan paint and a dark brown roof. Flowerbeds in full blooming color surrounded the wraparound porch.

A tight feeling grew as he stared at the house, his house. Even after almost a decade of living there, he always had a similar reaction when he returned after spending time away. It was the first place that he could truly call his own; the only place where he felt at liberty to relax and be himself.

He had lived in other houses, of course, but none of them were really _homes_. There was the one he was raised in with his mother and father, which came complete with any number of traumas that he still carried with him. His time at the dojo with Kazuma had come the closest but he hadn't felt deserving of what he was being offered. There had been too many whispered comments and open sneers for him to accept the kindness at face value. He'd felt unworthy and a little guilty, emotions that he'd tried to offset by forcing himself to be like any other student and nothing more.

Living at Shigure's had been an entirely different experience. It was never meant to be permanent and he hadn't wanted to be there at all in the beginning. But his resentment had slowly turned into something else completely. He now looked back on it as one of the best experiences of his life, the one that had most shaped the man that he had become.

But it wasn't his home. Even without the threat of imprisonment constantly hanging over his head, it wasn't the kind of place he wanted for himself. His idea of the perfect home was somewhere isolated and quiet, where he could be alone with his thoughts. After a lifetime of being the family sideshow, he wanted somewhere away from prying eyes where it would be just him and nature.

When the curse had been broken and they'd all been freed to find their own lives, they'd each been granted a considerable settlement. With his share, the first thing Kyou had done was start looking for the right location. He'd found it in this clearing, removed from the crowded city and surrounded by trees and open space. He'd done as much of the work as he could by himself, determined to lay his claim on every inch by investing his blood and sweat and not just money. When it was completed, he'd eagerly moved in, expecting to find the comfort and peace that he'd been searching for all his life.

All he'd found was an empty house.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when the front door suddenly slammed open and a stampede erupted through it. The explosion was accompanied by shouts of "Daddy! Daddy's home!"

Kyou dropped to his knees beside his bag and spread his arms wide to encompass the three warm, wiggling bodies that crashed into him. They tumbled into the dirt amid shrieking laughter as all three children tried to hug him at once. It took a few minutes before Kyou managed to untangle himself and line them up in front of him. He found himself looking at two very disheveled little boys and a little girl who was frantically trying to brush the dust from her pink plaid jumper.

"I guess this means you guys are happy to see me?" he asked with no small amount of amusement. His smile grew as the boys started arguing over who got to carry his bag while not-so-subtly trying to figure out which pocket contained the gifts he always brought for them. Kyou swept his daughter into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he followed his sons' wildly weaving path towards the house.

When he looked up and saw Kagura waiting on the porch with a smile, a warm feeling grew inside him. He'd been so wrong to think that a home had anything to do with four walls and a ceiling because it didn't. Real homes were about the people that filled them and he'd finally found his.

He was home.


	6. Kiss 6: Going With The Flow

**Kiss Kiss  
****By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#27- Overflow  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . . I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**x**

**x**

**Kiss Six  
**_Going With the Flow_

**x**

**x**

Kagura stood at the counter in Shigure's kitchen, carefully stacking the dinner dishes in preparation for washing them. After her visit had been extended by an invitation from Tohru to stay for dinner, she felt that the least she could do was help to take care of the cleaning up. So now she was willingly sequestered with the plates and pans, listening to the murmur of voices and Shigure and Yuki tried to convince Tohru to simply relax for a bit.

Placing the stopper in the bottom of the sink, Kagura turned on the water with a sigh. She had hoped to spend at least a bit of time with Kyou while she was there, but it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. He'd been silent the whole way through dinner and had vanished immediately after it was over. As far as her plan for getting close to him was concerned, her trip was a wasted effort.

She drummed her fingers on the counter with a mixture of frustration and concentration. There had to be some way to get Kyou to speak with her, even just for a little while. She wasn't such a horrible person that he needed to avoid her like she had some terrible, contagious disease.

Okay, so there was the little matter of the beatings but they weren't something that she could control. Besides, she always felt bad about them afterwards. And who knew, maybe if he didn't keep hiding from her, she might not get so overexcited when she did see him. She couldn't help what had always been a part of her nature. Was it really such an awful thing to want to care for someone?

"Oh!" As Kagura returned her attention to the task at hand, she realized that she'd lost focus for longer than she'd thought. The water had filled the sink and started to trickle over the edge to course down the cupboards and puddle on the floor. She hurriedly reached out and turned off the tap before looking down at her now damp feet. She gave a self-directed groan of annoyance as she surveyed the damage before reaching for a dish towel.

"What are you trying to do, flood the house?"

The voice from behind her was so unexpected that she gasped in surprise and whirled to find the speaker. Unfortunately for her, the water on the floor caused her feet to slide mid-turn. She got only the quickest glimpse of orange hair before she started to topple to the floor.

Her cry of shock was barely out of her mouth before she felt arms wrap themselves around her shoulder. She felt herself being turned just before a thud jarred her body. Kagura remained still for several seconds as she tried to catch her breath and still her racing heart. Her mind whirled, trying to figure out what had happened. When she finally opened her eyes, the pieces quickly fell into place.

She was still by the counter, sprawled across Kyou who had his back flat against the floor. His arms were locked around her waist while hers were trapped at her sides. She could feel his chest rising and falling as he panted for air. She could only assume that he had seen she was about to fall and he'd moved to help. He must have run as quickly as he could to make it across the room in time, but he had, grabbing her tightly. The vertigo had come from him twisting so that he was on the bottom and would take the brunt of the impact.

A warm feeling filled Kagura as she realized what he had done. Kyou had gone out of his way to help her and keep her safe when he'd noticed she was in trouble. And now, almost two full minutes after they'd hit the ground, he was still holding her tightly. She let her head return to its resting place on his chest and closed her eyes to savor the moment.

More time than she would have dared hope for passed before Kyou shifted slightly beneath her. Not wanting to push her luck and make him run, she pressed gently against his chest with her palms. Almost instantly, his arms dropped to his sides and they both sat up. Their positions left her almost sitting in his lap and Kagura could feel a blush seep into her cheeks as she hurriedly scooted off onto the floor.

Not daring to look at him, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, thank you, Kyou-kun. I hope you didn't hurt yourself . . ." Her voice came out so quietly that she wondered if he'd even heard it.

She was pleasantly surprised when he muttered his response. "It was nothing; I'm fine." Climbing to his feet as quickly as the soaked floor allowed, he glared down at her. "If you hadn't been trying to make a pool in the kitchen, none of this would have happened in the first place." He immediately contradicted his harsh words by offering his hand to help her up. She slipped her fingers across his palm, enjoying the little tingle she felt as his hand tightened.

He had just started pulling her up when the extra weight caused his bare feet to lose their traction and he slipped again. Kagura could only yelp as he bumped into her, sending them both back onto the floor.

The force of his body landing on hers knocked the breath from her lungs but she wouldn't have wanted to breathe anyway. She would have been too afraid to spoil the moment – the moment which had Kyou's lips just a scant inch from her own. Unable to resist the temptation, she closed the space and kissed him.

Kyou was on his feet and streaking out the door a moment later, leaving her alone in the kitchen. She remained still for just a few seconds before climbing to her feet. A smile hung on her lips as she mopped up the spilled water and she was humming by the time she finally washed the dinner dishes.

Because he had kissed her back.


	7. Kiss 7: Last Goodbye

**Kiss Kiss **  
**By **_Lady of the Ink _  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#16- Invincible/Unrivaled  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . . I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.  
**x **  
**x **  
**Kiss Seven **  
_Last Goodbye _  
**x **  
**x **

The stone was the purest white  
in the morning light  
on that sad day.

Kyou knelt slowly at its side  
letting the silence ride  
as was his way.

Flowers he had carefully assembled  
within his palm trembled  
and betrayed him.

He blamed it on the breeze blowing  
all the while knowing  
there was no wind.

Kyou eased them onto the ground  
the perfect place found  
to wilt and die.

His eyes with their crimson hue  
were tinted strangely blue  
he would not cry.

Her name was carved in letters bold  
the meaning clear and cold  
she was no more.

So simple and sparse were the facts  
marking one life passed  
his throat felt sore.

Their last meeting replayed in his brain  
no farewells exchanged  
he hadn't known.

They'd talked of the simplest of things  
the troubles life brings  
no hint had shown.

With vague plans to meet in future days  
they'd gone their separate ways  
for the last time.

He remembered her laugh and smile  
like memories on file  
safe in his mind.

Was it hard for her to be at ease  
or had she found her peace  
some way, somehow?

He never got the chance to ask her  
and would get no answer  
not ever now.

The call that day came as a surprise  
he'd wished that they were lies  
spoken to him.

Hearing that she was gone so soon  
mocked the bright afternoon  
it all went dim.

Although they'd loved in different ways  
he'd wanted her to stay  
always happy.

He'd worried for others but not for her  
she was so much stronger  
she'd had to be.

His fingers brushed lips and then cool stone  
hard and dry like old bone  
not yet worn smooth.

He knew that he had made an unfixable mistake  
and would live with the ache  
nothing could soothe.

He'd loved his family and friends  
knowing that all things end  
but life is cruel.

He'd thought she'd be the one to have it all  
the one who'd never fall  
invincible.

By the time he realized he was wrong  
that no one's always strong  
it was too late.

Kyou held tight to the memory of her face  
as he left that lonely place  
with his heartbreak.

**x**

**A/N:** Not quite sure where the inspiration for this came from, but I kind of like the sad and slow mood.


	8. Kiss 8 : Chains

**Kiss Kiss  
****By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **# 13 - Excessive Chain  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . . I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Eight  
**_Chains_

* * *

I've known for a long time that the greatest asset in my life is my mother. When faced with a situation that had caused others to fold and break, she not only braved it; she embraced it. Maybe some of it was circumstances; my being a girl had to have made it a bit easier for her. But there's a large part of me that truly believes things would be the same even if there'd been more hurdles between us. It's a mix of my experience by her side and my faith in the person she's proven herself to be.

My mother loves me. She supports me and my decisions, even when she's known that they might cause me pain in the end. She's always by my side when I need a friend, in front of me when I need a hand, and behind me when I need a push. It's because of her that I'm secure in the knowledge that I'm loved exactly as I am and that I'll never face life alone.

But there's one gift that she's given me that I treasure above all the rest. It came in the form of a story she'd tell me as she tucked me in at night. What she told me then not only gave me comfort and strength, it also gave me the desire to pass those feelings onto other people who needed them.

_"Love is like a chain. It comes in a lot of forms and serves a lot of purposes. It can be the guide rope that leads you forward or the line that pulls you from things that try to keep you down. It connects you to the people that you care about most and protects you from the sharp edges of the world."_

At that point she would smile and lean close to tuck the covers in just right.

_"Every chain is made up of links that come from a lot of places. Each smile, kind word, hug, and kiss adds another link to strengthen the chain. That's why it's so important to show people that you care about them. Every gesture you make towards them adds a link and helps keep the chain strong enough to keep them safe from the hardness around them and let them know that they're wanted. _

_"But the best part of the chain isn't the hard side that keeps all the bad things out. It's the warm side that keeps all the good things in. When someone wraps that chain around themselves and their heart, they can do just about anything they set their minds to. The bad, angry, and sad feelings can just bounce right off while all the happy, loved feelings stay with you and let you know there are people rooting for you to succeed, waiting to support you when you need them."_

That statement was always followed by a round of hugs, kisses, and tickling that left me feeling giggly and completely sure of my place in the world. It wasn't until I was older and had seen my cousins suffering that I realized how truly lucky I was to have her. That was when I decided to be as much like her as I could, to offer the gestures that formed the chains that would protect my loved ones in the way I had been protected. I would give everything that I had to help them feel as safe and as loved as I could.

Of course, good intentions have a way of backfiring in the worst ways. Meeting Kyou and seeing all the wounds he'd already gotten from the world, I was swamped with the desire to protect him. It wasn't so bad when we were younger, but things changed when I got old enough to really know what he'd suffered. Everything that my mother had told me bubbled up inside until I couldn't control myself. All I wanted was to reach out to him and do what I could to keep him safe.

Unfortunately for the both of us, my gestures of love and friendship turned into violence without my permission. What I plan to be a hug turns into a body slam and my hand offered in kindness somehow turns into a fist. Gentle words of encouragement become yells of anger and frustration.

Even so, I have to believe that there's a part of him that gets the emotion behind these actions, a part that feels the strength and love I'm attempting to send his way. Maybe someday I'll find the nerve to explain why I can't stop trying, why, even though it always goes wrong, I can't stop reaching out. In spite of his tough guy facade, Kyou has a soft heart and I'll do all that I can to help protect it from the world. Link by link, gesture by gesture, I'll let him know that he's loved. I'll build him the strongest chain that I can and take some comfort in knowing that, whether he knows it or not, he'll carry a part of me with him in it for always.


	9. Kiss 9: The Life For Me Ch 1

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#1- Look Over Here  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Nine: **This kiss is the first chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me**

**Chapter One  
**_The Ruined Tea_

* * *

"I can't believe that you're getting married in less than a week!"

It was mid-afternoon on a warm spring day. Brilliant sunshine poured through the large windows to illuminate the room within. It was a spacious area painted in a soft shade of yellow with white trim. The furniture was also white, its delicate construction marking its intended users as the slighter sex. The accents of the room – the curtains, rugs, throw pillows, and upholstering - were all a warm shade of butter yellow, looking wonderfully rich against their lighter backdrop. Even the tea service resting on the table at the center of the room matched, its daisy pattern having been specially ordered for just that reason.

Only the gowns of the women currently chatting broke the theme. The excited comment had come from Kagura Sohma, the hostess of the tea. The brunette was in the midst of refilling the cups and urging her friends to try the yummy cookies and cakes that were laid out. But even the seriousness with which she embraced her duties didn't keep a wistful smile from her face. She'd always been an unapologetic romantic and watching the love story between one of her closest friends and her cousin unfold filled her with happiness. They were two of the dearest people in the world to her and knowing that they would spend a long and joyful life together was almost as good as falling in love herself.

Almost.

She sighed lightly before continuing her earlier train of thought. "Is the dress finished yet? I'm dying to see it! From what you've described, you're sure to look like a princess when you walk down the aisle."

Tohru Honda blushed prettily at the implied compliment. "I'm going for my final fitting after I leave here. Ayame said that he's going to keep me there until he gets everything just right so I couldn't make any plans for the rest of the day. He won't even let me see the whole dress until the wedding but he seems so excited about surprising me that I don't mind waiting. I'm sure it'll be just beautiful."

Seated across from Tohru, Rin snorted. "Trust Ayame to do something so strange. How Yuki can stand some of his antics is beyond me. What kind of tailor keeps a bride from seeing her own dress? What if there's something you don't like?"

Kagura tapped her chin lightly with one finger. "You do have to admit that he's very good at what he does. I'm sure that everything he picks will be perfect because he knows he'll have to deal with all of us if it isn't."

Rin didn't look convinced. "I agree that his stuff usually comes out okay, but do you really think that any kind of retribution would be enough to keep him from doing something stupid once he gets it in his head?"

The truth in that statement made Kagura pause. Before she could come up with a response, Tohru quickly sat her cup back into its saucer and turned wide eyes toward her cousins-to-be. "It's not a problem, really! I trust Ayame to do a good job and I like surprises so I don't mind the waiting, especially since it's only for another week. Besides, the dress is Ayame's gift to me and so I think that it's only fair that he should get to decide exactly how he wants to give it." Her expression turned almost pleading as she spoke, obviously wanting to end any disagreements, no matter how light-hearted they were.

The five other women exchanged amused glances, used to Tohru's often rambling attempts to keep the peace. Arisa Uotani grabbed a cookie and broke it in half, using one piece to point at Kagura, Rin, and Kisa. "I'll just say that it was a good thing I met you guys before I met him. If I'd thought he was the average Sohma, there's no way I would have let the prince anywhere near my sweet Tohru."

Smiling at the royal nickname her charming cousin had earned, Kagura nonetheless knew that the blonde's statement was more truth than jest. Since her mother had died a few years before, Tohru had been looked after diligently by Arisa and Saki, each watching out for her in their own way. Even Kagura had gone through a screening process by the two after meeting Tohru in a bookshop one day. Luckily for her, she had not only passed but earned three new friends in the process.

It had turned out to be a good thing for Tohru and Arisa as well. Although it was something of a secret yet, Kagura knew that Arisa had been out with another of her cousins, Kureno, a few times. Neither of them mentioned the meetings but anyone who knew them could tell there was a connection growing. Tohru's luck had been in a chance meeting with Yuki when the groups of women had decided to visit Ayame's shop. That encounter been the start of their sweet romance and in just a few short days, they'd be joining their lives together and surely living happily ever after.

Kagura sighed again, filled with the gentle contentment that came from being surrounded by loved ones with only good things to look forward to. With the happiness of her friends so plain to see, it was like, for the moment, nothing could possibly go wrong.

"Good morning, ladies. Hands in the air, if you would."

The politely voiced command erupted into the room like a bomb. The friends reacted with a mix of starts, gasps, and one quickly suppressed scream. They all jerked around to stare with wide eyes at the source of the interruption.

A handful of rough looking men with shaggy hair and coarse clothes crowded the room's only doorway. Their expressions were a mixture of sneers and glowers and more than one carried a weapon. Even without having them raised, the easy grips with which they were held showed their familiarity and implied their willingness to use them.

One man, younger, cleaner, and more neatly dressed than the others, stepped forward. He had thick black hair long enough to brush his collar and a face free from scars or stubble. His mouth was wide and tipped up slightly at the corners, a sign of good humor that was matched by the twinkle in his brown eyes.

It was that expression that managed to snap Kagura out of the fear-induced stupor that the men's entrance had caused. Here she had been with her friends, quietly sharing tea in celebration of an upcoming joyful event when these degenerates had burst in uninvited. They'd all been startled and scared, and still were, if the quiet whimpers coming from Kisa were any indication. Now the happy mood was broken and this man had the nerve to look as though he was treating it all as a joke.

Kagura's hands clenched into fists even as the person in question spread his arms and smiled widely as though to show his non-threatening status. When he spoke, his tone was cheerful but pitched low, much like the voice one would use when conversing with a wild and potentially dangerous animal. "Sorry to intrude, ladies, but we have some business with one of you. If you would be so kind as to cooperate, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. We'll get what we came for and be on our way."

Kagura fought the urge to snort in disbelief at the grinning idiot in front of her speaking as calmly as if he were merely discussing a business deal. As surreptitiously as she could, she glanced at her companions to try and gage the situation.

When the men had burst in, they had all jumped to their feet and moved closer together. Now Rin stood on her left, her tall form positioned to shield the trembling Kisa as much as she could. The younger girl, never good with confrontations, was obviously terrified. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself as tears rolled down her face. Rin's expression was coolly defiant and Kagura could tell that she was ready to take action the instant an opportunity arose.

On her right, Arisa had taken a similar stance. Unlike Rin, her clenched fists and narrowed eyes were anything but subtle. In that moment, it was blatantly clear how she had earned her rough and tumble reputation around town. Her obvious emotions made Saki's blank expression all the more dramatic by comparison. The shorter girl was ice to Arisa's fire, appearing totally at ease and giving nothing of her thoughts away. They were an intimidating sight, standing side by side, and that immediate impression made the real reason for their positioning seem coincidental.

In the same way that Rin was protecting Kisa, Saki and Arisa were standing at the angles best suited to conceal Tohru from the men in front of them. From where she stood, even Kagura could only see the pale curve of Tohru's cheek, her trembling lip, and one wide, fear darkened eye.

Knowing that Rin and Arisa were too volatile, Tohru and Kisa too timid, and Saki too taciturn to deal with the strangers, Kagura literally and figuratively stepped forward. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. "What do you want?" she asked, striving for a tone between calm and demanding.

The man who had spoken both times before smirked again, pushing a hand through the unruly locks of hair that fell over his forehead. He took his time before answering, his gaze drifting over them one by one curiously before returning to meet hers.

"I'm looking for Tohru Honda."

The simple statement caused a stir among the women as the unspoken hope that there'd been some mistake died a swift and painful death. Now that they knew who the intruders wanted, it was time for the question of why to be answered. Never one to hesitate in going after something that she wanted, Kagura asked him just that before crossing her arms over her chest and cocking an eyebrow.

The man had the audacity to chuckle. The slight curve of his lip that she was quickly coming to dislike was present as he replied. "It's really nothing to worry about. My employer has requested a meeting with her. Speaking of which," he added, making a show of pulling out a watch and checking the time, "we really should be going. If Miss Honda would just step forward and come with us . . ."

"Like hell!"

The decidedly unladylike comment coming in stereo from Arisa and Rin at the same time kept him from completing his request. A similar outburst went through Kagura's mind but she managed to avoid speaking it. If Tohru saw that they were all distressed by the situation, her kindhearted friend would more than likely volunteer to go with the men just to defuse the situation, and that was something that couldn't be allowed.

There was absolutely no question of letting Tohru go with the ruffians blocking her door. She was much too vulnerable for them to be trusted alone with her. Kagura, Rin, Saki, and Arisa would be able to handle themselves but Tohru was just too kind. She was such a sweet person that everyone around her on a regular basis felt inclined to look after her. Unfortunately, that symbol of affection that other people showed her so consistently had left her with few natural defenses against anyone who might wish her harm. It would be like throwing a lamb to the wolves.

Kagura's eyes found the weapons wielded so openly and stayed there. It seemed unlikely that the men would leave without getting what they came for. In order to get rid of the threat to her friend, some sort of middle ground would have to be reached. She'd have to give them something other than what they wanted but that would still satisfy whatever need they had that had brought them to her home.

Unless . . .

Kagura froze as a realization swept through her mind.

_"If Miss Honda would just step forward . . ."_

They didn't know which one of them was Tohru!

It took every bit of control that Kagura could muster to keep her face still. She needed to keep from showing her hand until the plan that had started to form in her mind found its way to completion.

Her mind worked frantically. Rin and Arisa had likely already given themselves away as Tohru's friends with their outbursts, Kisa was too young, and there was no way to let Saki know of her idea. But if she acted quickly enough and the others caught on before giving her away, there was a good chance that she could pass herself off as Tohru. They were close enough in age and appearance that even if the men had a description, she should be able to fit it.

There would still be a level of danger involved, but it would be decidedly less for her than for Tohru. Growing up in a prominent family of mostly males, she had had to learn early on how to defend herself from any number of types of attacks. The teasing she had endured as a child had sharpened her wit and her tongue until she could usually give as good as she got. With only male cousins as playmates, she had had to abandon her preferred games of dolls and tea parties unless she wanted to play alone. While she didn't enjoy the wrestling, races, or wars quite as much as they seemed to, she had become very adept at them over the years.

Of course, once she had gotten older, all the skills she had learned at their sides had become almost shameful to a maturing young woman. In a world where delicate complexions and neat embroidery defined the sub-classes, knowing how to punch someone hard enough to send them flying twenty feet was hardly something you wanted to boast about. So she had quietly boxed up the part of her that actually missed those days and set about becoming a proper lady. It was truly satisfying to finally learn that those hadn't been wasted times and that the lessons she'd learned, although a bit crude, were coming in handy for a very good cause.

Anyone who knew her well would have easily recognized the determined tilt of her chin in that moment. No matter what sort of danger she was putting herself in, she was sure she could handle it long enough for Tohru to get to safety. The others would send help as soon as she left with the men; a few hours locked in a dingy warehouse or some back room would be worth the end benefit to her friend.

Before she had time to reconsider, Kagura gave the dark-haired man a cool look. In a voice that was as level as she could make it, she said, "If I go with you, will you promise that no harm will come to my friends?" She had carefully chosen the wording in case his earlier comment had been misleading. She was implying that she was Tohru but phrasing her comment so that, if pressed, she could claim it was a suggestion of a trade off.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends giving her startled looks. Since that played into her deception, she wasn't too worried but she knew she had act quickly. Once Tohru caught on to what was happening, she would definitely protest.

"You're going to come along?" the man asked, looking just slightly surprised.

Kagura gave him a dirty look and gestured towards his companions. "It doesn't look like you're going to take no for an answer. At least by agreeing to along with you willingly, I save my friends a lot of trouble and distress and hopefully get this thing over with as quickly as possible. You say your boss just wants a meeting; well, fine. Let's get to this meeting, see what he wants, and get on with our lives."

Although she'd almost been hoping her insolent tone would knock the genial expression off his face, the man seemed to take all of her comments in stride. His wide smile appeared once more and he motioned to the men behind him. They relaxed just slightly, their hands drifting away from their weapons for the first time since their arrival. Another gesture had them retreating out the door, although Kagura was certain they hadn't gone far.

As soon as they vanished from sight, the remaining man returned his attention to the women in front of him. "If you're ready, Miss Honda, we should get going."

"Just let me say goodbye to my friends first." Without waiting for his permission, Kagura turned to Rin and Kisa. While the younger girl's expression was still dazed, there was an approving glint in Rin's eye that showed she had figured out what was going on. She reached out to squeeze her cousin's hand, the gesture enough to portray her support. Kagura returned the action before turning to the other three women. Arisa was still shooting angry glares at the waiting man but paused long enough to speak. "If you do anything to hurt her, I swear I will hunt you down like a dog and destroy you." Her point made, she directed her second comment to Kagura. "Take care of yourself and get back soon. And don't worry; Saki and I will look after your stuff while you're gone."

Saki added a slight nod of agreement to the statement and it was all Kagura could do to keep from sighing out loud in relief. They were telling her that they'd make sure Tohru was safe when she was gone. Knowing things couldn't be in better hands, she turned to make her last farewell.

Tohru's expression was tight with worry and distress. Her mouth opened and Kagura knew she was about to protest what was going on. Not giving her a chance to speak, Kagura pulled her into a warm hug. Under the guise of kissing her cheek, she whispered in her ear. "Don't worry; I'll be fine."

She stepped away quickly, fighting the mist of tears that had risen in her eyes. Taking a deep breath and smoothing her hands down the sides of her skirt, she turned back towards the doorway. "I'm ready to go now."

The man nodded but made no immediate move to leave. His smile grew even wider as he looked over the remaining girls. "Are you sure none of you wants to come along? I'm sure we could think of a lot of fun things to do . . ." The waggling eyebrows he added to the comments made his point clear and unleashed an outraged shriek from Arisa. Before the blonde could charge, Kagura grabbed the stranger's arm and yanked him through the doorway.

"Are you insane?" she asked, vaguely noting that the hallway was empty as they passed through it. "I thought you said you were on a schedule; how do you plan to keep to it if you're pounded unconscious?"

The man laughed with apparent unconcern. "It was worth a shot," he replied cheerfully, twisting their arms until hers was linked through his like any gentlemen escorting a lady. Even though his tone and words were easy, Kagura noticed that he had picked up the pace as they made their way through her front hall. By the time they reached the door, she was almost running to keep up with his long stride.

The front door was standing open, probably from the exit of his friends, and so they strode right through it. Kagura was blinded by the bright afternoon light and was forced to trust his lead as she blinked to regain her sight. It was only through squinted eyes that she was able to make out the carriage waiting on the curb. There was a blur of motion as someone she assumed to be the coachman hopped down and opened the door for them.

Before she could protest, hands settled around her waist and she was lifted inside. She fell against the seat as the carriage tilted with the dark-haired man's entrance. She'd barely formed a glare at his rudeness before there was a loud shout and the conveyance began to move. Kagura was tossed to the floor with a shriek, her voluminous skirts flipping over her head and leaving her in darkness.

From somewhere above her she heard what sounded suspiciously like laughter that was quickly suppressed. She decided she was gracious enough to overlook the glimmer of humor in his eye when the man proceeded to help right her clothing and get her settled onto one side of the carriage while he took the other. What she couldn't overlook any longer was her curiosity.

"Where are we going?" she asked, only to be ignored as he turned his attention out the window. She asked again, louder this time, but there was still no reaction. Slumping down, she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed with displeasure. She had always hated being ignored when she had a question and the gravity of the situation didn't change that. In fact, this man's attitude through the whole ordeal had caused an instant dislike that made his slight all the more frustrating. She had half a mind to . . .

"Oh, oh!" her dark-haired traveling companion suddenly cried, almost bouncing on his seat as he stared out the window. "Look over here!"

Kagura's head turned more from instinct than an actual wish to obey. Her eyes widened as a white cloth settled neatly over her nose and mouth and a strong odor assaulted her senses. The last thing she saw was the man smiling gently as her vision hazed and the world faded to black.


	10. Kiss 10: The Life For Me Ch 2

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#21- The Sound of Waves  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Ten: **This kiss is the second chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Two  
**_Plans In Place_

* * *

"The carriage was rented from a stable not far from the docks by a younger man with light colored hair. He picked up an older man with dark hair immediately afterward and headed directly to Miss Sohma's house, meeting up with a small group of thugs just before reaching it. They went inside with the dark haired man while the younger one waited with the carriage. About ten minutes later, the thugs left and their trail was lost as they split up and went to various locations all over town.

"The dark haired man came out of the house just moments later with Miss Sohma. They both entered the carriage which took off quickly on a winding route back towards the docks. It was found abandoned there and witnesses saw both men exit it and head into the storage warehouses, where their trail was also lost."

"What about Kagura?"

"Witnesses said the older man was carrying a carefully wrapped bundle that was of a size to have been Miss Sohma. Inspection of the carriage showed no sign of her and no signs of any blood or weapons. There was, however, a rag found on the floor smelling of ether."

Yuki Sohma nodded slightly to show that he had heard while carefully going over what he'd just been told in his mind. Two men had come from the harbor, one of the most crime ridden sections of the city, to kidnap his fiancé. Kagura had taken her place and been taken back to the docks, where she was apparently knocked unconscious before vanishing with her abductors. If there was any comfort to be had in the situation it was that her captors were the least threatening sounding of the group that had taken her and that there was no evidence of foul play.

He returned his attention to the man seated across his desk, one of the several security agents employed full time by the Sohma family. "What do you suggest our next move should be?"

"The area in question is quite large, with hundreds of places where Miss Sohma might have been taken. Searching them all, even with the large number of volunteers you've already gathered, will take days. If this was a kidnapping for money, which all the evidence is pointing to, the culprits will most likely contact you within that time with their demands. You should go along with them to try and ensure your cousin's safety but also delay, if you can, to give us time to track them down and bring her home."

Despite the man's encouraging tone, Yuki could read between the lines of his comments to the hints about the danger surrounding Kagura. Very few victims of kidnapping made it home safely, whether the ransom was paid or not. There was too great a fear that they would then identify the culprits. It was quite likely that no matter how quickly or exactly he followed any demands, the people that had taken Kagura weren't planning on returning her.

And all of that, he reminded himself wearily, was assuming that it was a kidnapping for ransom at all. It was possible that it was a different type of crime altogether, although he couldn't bring himself to go into detail with that line of thought. As rational and logical a person as he was, there was still a hint of the child that always wanted to believe that only good or at least manageable things would happen to those he cared about.

"All right. Keep me informed of anything that comes up. I'll contact you the moment that I hear anything. Also, make sure your men continue looking into anyone who might have any motive for this: enemies of mine or the families. Tell them to keep in mind that Miss Honda was the actual target and that their lines of inquiry should reflect that."

Rising to his feet with a heavy sigh, Yuki shook the investigator's hand and walked him to the door of his study. Rubbing at the ache located in the center of his forehead, he gathered his composure to face the rest of the family and close friends that were waiting for him to brief them. He'd barely managed to convince them to let him meet the detective alone and he knew that they would be getting anxious for news. It was never a good idea to leave Arisa, Haru, and Rin together during a tense situation since there was a very real risk of returning to a destroyed room and word that they'd decided to take action on their own.

He approached the library with slow steps, bracing himself to face them, Tohru most of all. She'd been devastated by Kagura's abduction and had been nearly inconsolable when Saki and Arisa had brought her to his office. Their thoughts had been of her safety, but she was too wrapped up in her own guilt to notice. He spent the entire time before the detective's arrival trying to calm her down and failing miserably. She was determined to blame herself for what everyone else recognized as a choice that Kagura had made willingly and for herself.

Yuki knew that the only thing that would make her feel better would be Kagura's return, safe and soon. The pale comfort that he had to offer after his meeting would do more harm than good, but it was all that he had. As much as it hurt to admit that nothing he could say or do could help the person that he loved most, he could do no less than try.

He paused for the slightest of moments, his head bowed as he gathered his strength, and then pushed open the library door.

**x**

The room was of average size but was so crammed with items that there was barely space enough for its three occupants. Aside from the counters lining the three walls without a door, there was a free-standing table dividing the room. Pots and pans were hooked in neat rows along the walls, further cutting into the open space.

Farthest from the door was a light figure, long, reddish brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Two pans sat in front of him and his hands moved quickly between them as he pulled fresh vegetables from one only to drop them washed, peeled, and cut into the other moments later. His graceful movements showed long practice and the delightful smells rising from the bubbling pots nearby spoke of his skill. He seemed fully absorbed in his task and if he paid any attention at all to the conversation going on around him, he gave no sign.

Across the table but still within arm's reach sat a boy. A few years younger than the cook, his expression already seemed much older. His brown eyes were half closed, successfully shielding any emotion beyond the mix of boredom and derision that seemed to be his default expression. He had one elbow braced on the wooden surface and his head rested against his hand as he listened to the man standing in the doorway.

"We'll be leaving as soon as he gets here. Our guest should stay quiet until after that, which means that we only have ourselves to worry about. Momiji is going to stay close to her and let me know if she starts to raise a fuss. Hiro, try to keep tabs and make sure that no one else has a reason to be anywhere near her room The last thing we need is someone seeing her and spreading the word before everything else is ready."

The sandy haired boy rolled his eyes. "I know all that. We've only been going over this plan for the past week. You've only given me that same speech a thousand times already, including twice this morning. And if you so much as think about telling me again, I'm only going to have to break your arm."

The lightly voiced threat got enough attention from the cook for him to look up with wide, worried eyes but the person it was directed toward just laughed. Raking a hand through his dark hair, he shifted positions to lean a shoulder against the doorframe. His lack of concern was just as obvious in his cheerful tone. "Yes, yes," he replied, waving his hands in a flippantly dismissive manner. "No more reminders. Everything has been going so well up until now; we just don't want anything going wrong now that it's too late to turn back."

A series of shouts from above caught the attention of all three men. The cook jumped so violently that the knife that he'd been using skittered to the floor. He made no move to retrieve it but stared in horror at the partially prepared meal before him.

"I've taken too long! It's not ready and he's already here! My one job and I've failed miserably at it! I'm worthless, a waste of space! That I force you all to even look at my useless self is beyond forgiveness! You should feed me to the wolves! Throw me in the ocean! Hang me from the – oof!"

His final words were cut off as the black haired man moved from the doorway to give him a quick jab to the side. The boy at the table scoffed with disgust as the cook gasped and seemed to deflate before their eyes. Without another word to the men across the room, he slipped from his seat and vanished through the now unblocked doorway.

The older man tsked at the crumpled form at his feet. "Now, now, Ritsu, just calm down. He's got other things to attend to before he'll come looking for you. Finish the meal and be sure to keep some aside for our guest. I'll send Momiji or Hiro down to take it to her when the coast is clear. Understand?"

His comments got a nod and a weak "Yes, Shigure," which seemed enough to satisfy him. With a light tap to the top of Ritsu's head, he followed Hiro's escape route and quit the room.

**x**

Kyou Sohma didn't walk so much as storm towards his destination. With every step that he took, his feet slammed into the earth, fiercely grinding before lifting again. His hands were locked into fists at his sides and the glower on his face was dark enough to send everyone scrambling from his path. Even with gritted teeth, a few choice comments managed to escape his lips.

"Of all the nerve …butt-kissing idiots …Not a one of them has a thought that wasn't given to them by someone else! How dare they treat me like that! They'll be sorry!" He roused himself from his fuming only to shout terse orders at every man unfortunate enough to still be in his line of sight. Finally making it to his room, he paused in the doorway to bellow a single word before storming inside.

"Shigure!"

He had only just thrown himself into a chair when a figure sauntered casually into the room with a loose grin on his face. "Ah, you're back! How did it go?" The dark glare that his light tone garnered didn't seem to faze the new arrival in the least as he took a seat in the remaining chair.

Kyou shoved a hand through his already messy hair and growled. "It went exactly like I told you it would; the same way it went yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. First they won't let me in and then they keep me waiting for hours. When I finally do talk to someone, it was just some low-level humps who spouted off the same crap I've been hearing my whole life. They couldn't get me out of their offices fast enough. I never had a chance at getting to anyone with any real authority."

Shigure cocked an eyebrow as he steepled his fingers beneath his chin. "I know that you didn't expect much going into that meeting, but what else can you do? Sure, showing up and complaining every few months may seem ineffective but doing anything _less_ after all this time would certainly make it look like you were backing down. You don't want to risk losing any of the ground you may have gained, no matter how minuscule it might be."

"If that's your best try at being encouraging, I'd practice more because it really sucked." Pushing out of his chair, Kyou slowly prowled the room. Every once in awhile he would pause his steps and mumble a few unintelligible words before shaking his head and resuming his movements.

A solid ten minutes passed in this manner before Shigure's voice dropped into the silence. "Something on your mind?"

Kyou drew to a halt and looked in his direction but the blank expression that he wore made it clear that he was still deep in thought. Then he blinked rapidly and his crimson eyes grew focused. "What? No. Well, maybe. Maybe it's time to try another tactic, something they can't just ignore or brush off."

Shigure's look turned to one of mild interest. "Like some grand gesture to catch their attention? What a marvelous idea! I wish I'd thought of it myself. That would certainly speed our case along, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe …It's something to think about, anyway." Seeming in slightly lighter spirits than he'd been in upon entering the room, Kyou headed towards the door with Shigure on his heels. "Get the men moving; I want to be out of here within the hour."

"Consider it done," Shigure replied. Once Kyou was no longer in sight, his earlier grin returned with a slightly sharper edge. "And that goes for both projects." As he wandered down the hall, he was whistling to himself.

**x**

The room was small, no more than five feet by five feet. A small bed attached to the wall was the only piece of furniture and even that seemed like too much for the area to contain. There were no windows, just a single guttering lantern secured high on one wall. The only way in or out was through a heavy wooden door with its iron handle.

Its useless iron handle, the room's only occupant thought darkly. She'd tugged on the darn thing until her hands were red and swollen but it had done no good. The door had obviously been locked from the outside.

Kagura Sohma sat on the edge of the bed, rapidly tapping the toe of her slipper against the rough floorboards. The restless movement was a poor substitute for her preferred relaxation method of pacing but it was her only option in the small space. Normally the forced adjustment would have been just a minor irritation, but under her current circumstances, it was almost too much to take.

She forced her foot to still as she took a deep breath. Getting upset wouldn't help anything; in fact, she was sure from past experience that it would just make things worse. She needed to keep calm and aware, to be ready for any chance to escape. It simply wouldn't do for her to miss an opening because she was too busy fuming.

It took almost every ounce of determination in her, but Kagura finally managed to settle her body into stillness. If she couldn't leave the room, there was nothing she could do but try to learn as much as she could from her current position. Any hint as to her captors or their motives could be the edge she needed to gain her freedom or at least buy her safety until her cousins came, as they were sure to do.

She tilted her head and closed her eyes, her ears straining to pick up any noise. From somewhere above there came the faint thuds of heavy footsteps accompanied by scraping noises. A closer sound was more difficult for her to discern, sounding almost like a young voice singing words too soft to hear.

But it was the sound layered over all of these that chilled her blood and had her eyes flying open. The gentle, rhythmic crashes layered over a steady whooshing was a combination that she had heard many times throughout her life. On those occasions, the sound of waves crashing into the side of a ship had been a welcome noise, a part of an adventure or journey. This time, the usually calming reverberation was more like the whish of her departing optimism. For the first time since waking from her drugged slumber, her usual aura of confidence failed her. She slumped to the floor as tears trailed unchecked down her cheeks.

How was her family supposed to rescue her from a prison that was slowly but surely sailing away?


	11. Kiss 11: The Life For Me Ch 3

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#6- The Space Between Dream and Reality  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Eleven: **This kiss is the third chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Three  
**_First Impressions_

* * *

They were up to something.

If there was one thing Kyou knew, it was his crew. He'd been sailing with them for more than five years, had known most of them for longer than that, and was related to a third of them to boot. That was why he had noticed instantly when that final group had begun to act strangely.

First he'd caught Hiro actually volunteering to do below deck chores for an older crew member. When the sixteen year old had first come on board as a cabin boy, barely a day went by without Kyou needing to threaten him into doing his duties. His naturally brooding attitude and his distaste for any sort of authority figure had made it an uphill battle. Five years later, he had progressed to doing his work well and on time but still balked at requests and kept his distance from most of the others. His sudden helpfulness was definitely suspicious.

Then there was Momiji. The cheerful blonde was usually underfoot everywhere that he went, bouncing and humming and talking incessantly. If his navigation skills hadn't been exceptional for his age, Kyou would have dumped him overboard long ago. The younger man had a knack for finding fast routes and hiding places just when they needed them that was almost instinctual to him. As it was, Kyou managed to grit his way through the encounters that he wasn't able to avoid. The fact that he hadn't seen Momiji since his return would usually have been a welcome event but paired with Hiro's odd behavior, it was just worrisome.

Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, Kyou had been taking careful notice of his shipmates through the afternoon. Most seemed to be acting normally but something about Shigure came off as slightly more sly than usual. The smug smile that he wore so often was a bit wider, his deceptively easy-going attitude a bit sharper. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on was telling Kyou that if something was up, Shigure was in on it.

To top it all off, what should have been a simple meal had been unusually trying. Ritsu had managed to top his personal best of three freak outs for one evening by two. That included the hair-pulling fit that had sent half of the meal that he'd just delivered right into Kyou's lap.

And he'd really been hungry, too.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he leaned against the railing on deck, his back to the rippling expanse of water. He was glad to be leaving the crowded city behind and heading home and yet he couldn't be satisfied. The task that he had gone to accomplish was no where near complete, which meant that a return journey was inevitable. He was so tired of it all. Every trip seemed longer, every problem more bothersome. Facing the various quirks of his family members had never been fun but lately, it took everything in him to deal with them.

His eyelids drooped and his shoulders slumped. He just wanted it all to be over with, to have the problem resolved and in the past. But it had been so long already, year after year of trying to absolve his inherited sin, that he had lost hope. The mental image of success that he had used to inspire himself was gone, long since faded by failures too numerous to count. He was starting to believe that his father had been right all along.

A low rumbling noise pulled Kyou from his rapidly darkening thoughts. Realizing that the sound was coming from his stomach, he placed a hand over the offending area. It was no wonder he was hungry again already; he'd left before breakfast to go into town and had gotten back hours past noon. When he did have lunch, more of it had wound up on his pants than in his mouth.

His eyes moved to the sun's position to judge the time. Deciding that he was too hungry to wait until dinner, he prepared himself to brave Ritsu and raid the galley.

He was two steps from the door when he caught the sound of a conversation. Recognizing Momiji's voice, he automatically slowed to a stop. As close as he was, he couldn't help but overhear some of what was being said. One word in particular caught his attention and had him moving quietly closer.

"So how has out guest been doing?" Shigure was asking.

There was the sound of a utensil being laid down before Momiji answered. "Pretty well, I guess. Everything was quiet when I checked before I came here. I thought that I heard some noises an hour or so ago but it was so faint, I might have imagined it."

_Guest?_ Kyou repeated silently to himself. What the hell were they talking about?

"If the room gets wrecked, I'm telling you right now that I'm not cleaning it up. It's bad enough that you've got me playing errand boy for the whole ship." Hiro, of course.

"Don't worry; it won't be for much longer. First thing tomorrow, we'll tell Kyou."

"Are you sure that it'll be safe, Shigure?" Momiji asked. "He's going to be really mad."

"By then, he'll have no choice. What's he going to do, toss her overboard?"

Kyou didn't wait around to hear any more. Moving to the far side of the hallway, he crept past the galley door without alerting the group inside. In seconds, he was striding toward the section of the ship that Hiro had been running to and from all day. Now that his suspicion that his relatives were up to something had been confirmed, he wasn't going to wait until they brought that something to him. He'd learned long ago that it was never a good idea to let them have the upper hand in any situation.

His mind flashed through all the possibilities for what he was about to face. While there wasn't much that he would put past Shigure, the list of things that both Hiro and Momiji would get involved in was thankfully much shorter and less frightening. Ritsu didn't even enter into his consideration since he was pushover enough to be talked into just about anything, especially by Shigure.

From what had been said moments earlier, they were obviously keeping something living in one of the cabins. Momiji was playing caretaker while Hiro's sudden bout of helpfulness kept away unwanted witnesses. The most logical conclusion that his mind found was that Momiji had smuggled a new pet onboard to add to his already considerable menagerie back home. Hiro would have been relatively easy to bring in on it. If questioned, he'd likely say that he was just enjoying causing trouble but in truth, he had a hidden weakness for cute things that Momiji was rather talented at reaching. Shigure, on the other hand, really would be in on it just to watch the drama that would surely ensue when they were found out.

Kyou began checking rooms as he passed them, bracing himself each time for anything from an injured bird to entire family of stray cats. His only hope was that Momiji had taken his absolute ban on rodents as seriously as it had been meant. He shuddered at the thought of the vermin anywhere close to him, with their nasty little tails and whiskers and diseases.

The first four rooms revealed nothing out of the ordinary and Kyou allowed himself to relax a little. Maybe he had misheard and there was something else going on. Or maybe his relatives had seen him in the hallway and put on an act to rile him. It wouldn't be the first time that they had all gone to such lengths just to make him angry.

The fifth door was locked from the outside.

All thoughts of it being a sham fled from his mind. Since only he and Shigure had access to the keys, Kyou was certain he'd found the room he'd been looking for. Pulling his own set of keys from his pocket, he quickly found the correct one and inserted it in the lock. The moment that he heard the telltale click, he yanked open the door …only to have something hard meet his face with enough force to send him bouncing off the opposite wall and into oblivion.

**x**

Kagura stared down at the unconscious body at her feet with a mixture of emotions running through her mind. The strongest was very close to fear that she had done more damage than she had intended. All she'd wanted to do was let her captors know that she wasn't going to take her imprisonment peacefully. But as she looked down at the sprawled man who, she noted with regret, wasn't even the man that had grabbed her, she felt a little guilty.

Don't lose your nerve now, she admonished herself. If your own safety isn't enough of a reason for you to use force, just remember that Tohru was their real target. It could have easily been her locked in that room, at the mercy of these men.

The anger that that thought evoked carried Kagura several steps down the hallway with the intent of finding some means of escape. She might have made it further if she hadn't looked back.

Even with the dim lighting she could make out the man's crumpled form. She winced in sympathy as she noticed the awkward angle that his neck was bent at against the wall. Her gaze moved on, taking in the uncomfortable looking position that his left leg was in, twisted beneath his body.

With a sigh, Kagura turned back the way she had just come. It simply wasn't in her to leave him there like that, no matter the circumstances. Of course, had it been the grinning idiot who'd knocked her out, she would have had no problems leaving him behind. She probably would have kicked him as she danced past him with no regrets.

She turned a critical eye toward her unconscious victim, trying to figure out what she was going to do and how she was going to do it. While she hadn't had enough time to really notice how tall he was before he'd fallen, it was obvious that he would tower over her own slight frame. Although there didn't seem to be much fat on him, he was well muscled enough that she knew lifting him would be no easy feat.

Kagura's gaze swerved to the bunk six or so feet away and she quickly decided that it would be her best bet. The small dimensions of the room would now work in her favor, allowing her to brace herself against the wall all the way to the bunk. That left actually lifting the man as the last obstacle to absolving her guilt.

She dropped to her knees at his side, belatedly realizing that she should make sure that he had no other injuries. He seemed to be breathing okay and aside from a rapidly darkening eye and a bump on the back of his head, she didn't see anything wrong with him.

Her focus quickly shifted from healing to hefting. The lessons that she had been forced to sit through suddenly came in handy as a lecture on leverage popped into her mind. She lifted the arm closest to her knee and looped it over her shoulders before sliding her own arm beneath his back. A few moments of wiggling and carefully timed shifts of weight later and Kagura had managed to pull the man into a sitting position. That was when the really hard part began.

Reaching out with her free hand, she grabbed the door frame in a tight grip. She pulled and started to rise at the same time, the effort drawing an unladylike grunt from her throat. She made it to her feet but unfortunately for her, the extra weight on one shoulder threw her balance, causing her to sway forward. Her hand slipped from the doorway and slid along the wall until her upper chest and forehead slammed into the wood.

Kagura gasped at the sudden flare of pain. Sheer determination kept her grip on the unconscious man tight. There was no way she was going to let go and have all her struggles be for nothing.

The next few moments passed in a haze for her. She barely let herself think as she fought to ignore the pain and work her way forward. By the time she reached the bed she was panting from her efforts and the steady throbbing that had kicked up in her head. It was with no small amount of relief that she shifted her passenger into a position to get him onto the bunk.

After all that had happened, she reasoned, she could be forgiven for being somewhat less than gently. She'd been taken from her home, drugged, and locked in a small chamber on a departing ship. Her one act of revenge had quickly been followed by regret and an attempt to make up for what she had done. Since those efforts had bought her a more than equal amount of pain in return, she was feeling less than generous. That was why she had decided to simply let the man drop onto the bed rather than spend time tediously lifting him onto it.

It would have worked had the arm still slung around her shoulders not tightened at that exact moment. For the second time in less than five minutes, Kagura found herself thrown off balance. Thankfully her second landing was considerably softer than the door; she was pulled down with the falling man, landing in a sprawled position across his chest.

Kagura remained still as she fought the wave of dizziness her sudden movements had caused. Her vision turned fuzzy and she feared for a moment that she might faint. Slow, deep breaths and closed eyes helped the lightheaded feeling recede, although the headache stayed, stronger than ever.

If she hadn't been lying so completely motionless, she doubted that she would have felt the man shift beneath her. The movement was slight but unmistakable and accompanied by a quiet groan. Her eyes flew open as she froze in shock.

Realizing the position she was in, both literally and figuratively, Kagura quickly tried to get some distance. She slammed both palms into the mattress and pushed up, raising her upper body off of the man's. Her hair tumbled forward to make a sort of tunnel, directing her gaze straight to his face. It moved over his square chin and wide mouth, past his straight nose, and onto the dark lashes that lay fanned against his cheek. The lashes that fluttered open as she watched.

The moment that she saw his eyes, she was lost. Maybe it was the hooded look of someone still caught in the web of their dreams, maybe it was childlike expression of a person completely at ease, or maybe it was a concussion from smacking into the wall. Whatever the reason, her breath caught in her throat and her heart seemed to thump especially hard in her chest.

The man seemed equally dazed, drawing in a deep breath as he blinked up at her slowly. If it hadn't been for the polite cough from the doorway, who knows how long they might have stayed like that.

As it was, the unexpected noise had both their heads shooting to the hallway and the three people standing there. Kagura looked questioningly at the two unfamiliar boys and then immediately forgot them as she recognized their companion. Looking just as cocky and confident as he had in her parlor, the dark haired man was leaning casually against the door, his arms crossed over his chest. She could almost feel the touch of his gaze as it moved from her bruised forehead to his friend's shiner and back again.

"Well, it looks like we missed the explosion," he said, the hint of pouting in his voice belied by the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Wiggling his brows, he let loose a wide grin. "So who won?"


	12. Kiss 12: The Life For Me Ch 4

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **# 10 - #10  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twelve: **This kiss is the fourth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Four  
**_Consequences_

* * *

Kyou had been in a lot of strange situations during the course of his life. More than half of them had come about because of Shigure or another family member. Some of them had been annoying, some painful, some embarrassing, and some almost funny in hindsight.

Not a one of them beat his current circumstances.

He wasn't exactly clear on what had happened before he woke up; his memory was a little foggy and a pounding headache wasn't helping any. All he did know was that he's been having what he'd thought was a wonderful dream about a brown haired siren luring Shigure, Momiji, and Hiro into the sea, never to bother him again. The blissful images had been shattered by Shigure's voice, pulling him back into the present.

Surprise was too tame a word to describe his feelings when he realized that the dark eyed girl he'd pictured dressed in waves was still in front of his eyes. It took a minute for the other details - their location in the room, on the bed, and stacked on top of one another – to sink in. Once they did, he was quick to take action. He grasped the girl's shoulders and pushed her in one direction while sliding his own body to the opposite side.

It was just his luck that he picked the wrong way. The girl landed on the free stretch of bed while he wound up on the floor. His eye started to twitch as he eased himself into a sitting position to the sound of snickering from the doorway. A glare silenced the laughter but did nothing to lessen his irritation.

"In about thirty seconds," he began in a tight voice, "I'm going to get up. I'm going to go to my cabin and I'm going to have the drink that I really need right now. By the time I'm finished, there had better be a damn good explanation waiting for me." He saw Shigure's mouth start to open and jabbed a warning finger in his direction. "Not. Yet."

With as much dignity as his bruised ego and aching head would allow, he stumbled to his feet and towards the door without a backwards glance. Proving that they did indeed possess some level of intelligence, Hiro, Momiji, and Shigure moved to allow him passage. There was absolute silence as he stalked down the hall and towards his own room. Knowing that the pain it would cause wasn't worth the effect, he managed to keep from slamming the door.

Regardless of what he had said, Kyou stormed right past the glass fronted liquor cabinet. His temper was too close to bursting free of his already stretched restraint to risk adding alcohol to the mix. Never a big drinker in the first place, seeing the effects it had on other people had made him even more cautious of imbibing at the wrong times.

On the other side of the room sat a small stand with a removable basin built into the top. Directly above it was a small, oval mirror, securely attached to the wall. Bracing his hands on the edge of the stand, Kyou bent to examine his face. The swollen and discolored area around his eye drew his immediate attention and he probed it gently. The skin wasn't broken but he knew it would be a painful nuisance for some time to come.

Exhaling in annoyance, he backed away from the mirror and raked a hand roughly through his disheveled hair. A curse spilled from his lips as his fingers hit yet another injury, this one in the form of a bird's egg sized bump on the back of his head. His temper flared again at the new discovery. Before he could even think about confronting the problem waiting down the hall, he needed to get a handle on it.

Dropping into the closest chair, he took a few deep breaths and thought back. He remembered being on deck and hen heading to the galley to get something to eat. The conversation that he'd overheard there was a bit hazy but he remembered enough to explain why he'd gone down the hall. He had memories of checking doors and coming across a locked one. After that, there was nothing before waking up with that girl sprawled all over him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was the guest that Momiji had been talking about, not some animal like he had assumed. That left the pressing questions of who she was, why she was on board, and what he was going to do about her. Ideas for what he was going to do to Shigure, Momiji, and Hiro were already floating through his mind.

Kyou got to his feet and headed to the door, confident that he would be able to control his anger until the time was right for him to let it out. He walked slowly down the hall feeling calm and ready to get some answers. He found grim humor in wondering whether the occupants of the nearby room were ready for him.

As it was, the scene he walked in on made them seem more than ready; they looked completely at ease. Hiro was sitting in the corner closest to the door with his legs stretched out across the floor in front of him. Shigure was between him and the bed, his back flat against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes strayed to Kyou for just a second before returning to their original focal point of the two figures on the bed. Momiji knelt on the edge of the bunk, all but bouncing as he tossed questions at the dazed-looking woman across him without giving her time to answer any of them.

For the first time since becoming aware of her existence, Kyou got a clear look at the center of his relatives' latest escapade. He was fairly certain that he'd never met her before. Her hair was a deep brown, showcasing a pale, clear complexion and wide gray eyes. He would put her age close to his own and judging by the quality and design of her rumpled dress, her family's standing was obviously in the upper class.

His eyes found the vivid bruise marring her forehead and he suppressed a wince. It had colored more since he'd last seen it and so he could only assume that she'd acquired it around the same time as his black eye. He paused and bit back a frown. He hoped that nothing he'd done during the still unclear span of his memory had caused the injury. No matter what she might have done to him, it was an unacceptable breach of his self-imposed moral code to ever raise a hand against a woman.

Kyou cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room and finally silencing Momiji. Placing his hands on his hips, he eyed them all with a stern expression. "This is what's going to happen: I'm going to start asking questions and you're going to give me the answers to them. There will be no lies or excuses, just a quick, concise response. Am I understood?"

Hiro rolled his eyes, Momiji nodded energetically, and Shigure, with the most innocent of expressions imaginable on his face, quietly voiced an affirmative. The woman scooted further back on the bed until she was pressed against the wall. She wore a look of mixed apprehension, curiosity, and anticipation. He got the oddest feeling that she was as interested as he was in what they had to say.

Shaking off the sensation, Kyou got down to the business at hand. Counting each one off on his fingers as he reached it, he started listing off the most pressing questions on his mind. "Who is this girl? Why is she on my ship? Why is she locked in this cabin? How long has she been here? How much trouble is her being her going to get me into? And whose brilliant idea was this, as if I even need to ask?" he finished, looking directly at Shigure.

He decided to wait for the answers to his first round of questions before adding any more. As Shigure took a deep breath and started explaining his scheme, more questions piled up in Kyou's head.

Question seven: How had he never noticed that Shigure was completely, absolutely insane?

Question eight: Why hadn't he given into his repeated impulse to lock the idiot up whenever he wasn't around to make sure he stayed out of trouble?

Question nine: What had Momiji and Hiro, who he had been so certain knew better, been thinking to go along with anything Shigure came up with?

And number ten, a question he had asked himself many times before but never as fervently as at that moment: Who in this world had he pissed off to deserve his life?

**x**

The library, once one of Yuki's favorite rooms in his spacious house, was now a place that he dreaded to enter. Since Kagura's disappearance hours earlier, he had been in and out of it several times. Each visit showed the situation inside becoming worse and the news – or lack of it – that he brought wasn't helping. Every time he looked at Tohru's tortured face and heard her racking sobs another painful tug tore at his heart.

His hand faltered an inch from the knob as he returned from yet another fruitless meeting with the investigator. With night falling quickly, he had promised to step up the search while strengthening his warning that the outlook wasn't good. While Yuki appreciated his attempts to prepare him for the worst, he was tired of hearing bad news. He just wanted Kagura home safe, her captors caught, and everything back to normal.

Knowing that he couldn't put it off any longer, he pulled open the door. The sound of an argument immediately flowed to his ears and he lost the battle to hold in a sigh. Yuki carefully closed the door behind himself to gain an extra moment to shore up his patience before dealing with the situation.

Haru, Rin, and Arisa, unsurprisingly the source of the yelling, were huddled around a table to one side of the room. Several large maps were spread across its surface and they kept pointing to different locations in between rude gestures toward each other. At his entrance they paused but the small shake of his head sent them right back to their "discussion".

Yuki knew that they were setting up for their own search, which he had thankfully managed to have them delay until the morning. He hoped by then either Kagura would already be safely returned or they would have calmed enough to not destroy the city as they searched it. He had more than enough trouble trying to keep up with the usual problems from the family businesses he managed while dealing with the issue of Kagura's kidnapping. The thought of those three running wild in the middle of the night was more than he could – or wanted to – imagine.

Suppressing a shudder, he turned his attention to another issuing weighing heavily on his mind. Off to the left of the would-be posse sat a small couch, angled toward a cheerily burning fire. Tohru was huddled at one end with a silent Saki at her side. Her tears had been replaced by an even worse motionlessness. The gentle, animated face that he had fallen in love with was a still, slack mask devoid of color and emotion.

Yuki had taken only a single step in her direction before Saki rose gracefully to her feet. With a regal nod that he understood to be a sort of passing of the torch, she moved to join the others across the room. He slowly sank into the spot she had vacated, turning slightly sideways in order to have a clear view of Tohru's face. She had made no move to let him know she had even noticed his presence.

Reaching out to take her hands, he was slightly startled by the coolness of her skin. Unconsciously rubbing them between his own, he tried to think of something to say. All the words of encouragement he had spoken over the past hours had done no good; all the detailed lists of what was being done had had no effect. No matter how sincere he was, all his speeches had rolled right over her head, leaving no change in her mood. He was quickly finding himself at a loss of what to do for her.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close and closed his eyes. The exhaustion he had been fighting all day was pressing even more strongly on him, draining what little energy he had left. '_Kagura has to be all right,'_ he thought sadly to himself. '_I don't think any of us will be able to take it if she isn't.'_

**x**

When the orange-haired man that she had knocked unconscious had left the room, Kagura was awash with conflicting emotions. The fact that she was within striking distance of the man that had gotten her into her current situation was at the top of her mind. It was only the fact that there were witnesses that kept her from unleashing the full force of her anger on him. Her lengthy imprisonment had given her a lot of time to come up with several interesting forms that her revenge could take and she was looking forward to carrying them all out.

Bravado aside, she was too honest not to admit to herself that she was scared. While she had known that there had to be a number of men working on the ship, actually putting faces on some of them made it all seem too real. Even though the two examples in front of her were little more than boys, she knew that there was no way she could stop them from hurting her if they chose. For that reason, she hoped for the fourth man's quick return. He, at least, had seemed as clueless as her about what was going on. He'd also been none too happy about it, if his gritted words and tight expression had been any indication. She could only hope that his irritation would mean her quick release.

"Hi!" The bright voice was accompanied by a jounce of the mattress as the blonde haired boy plopped onto the edge. "My name is Momiji. That's Hiro and you already met Shigure. I hope that he didn't scare you too much. I wanted to come along this morning but he wouldn't let me. He said that I would talk too much and ruin the image but then he let Hiro go, which I think was really unfair. Don't you think it's unfair? I'm older so I should have been the one to get to go …"

He continued his one sided conversation at a pace that Kagura was hard pressed to follow. She was concentrating so hard just to catch the basics that the return of the orange haired man that Momiji identified as Kyou caught her off guard. His commanding tone brought silence to the room and finally pulled everyone's attention away from her.

It was only by chance that Kagura caught the satisfied expression on Momiji's face before he turned to face the doorway. It made her wonder if the stream of innocuous commentary had been delivered for a reason other than puppy-like friendliness. As unlikely as it seemed, she had to wonder if maybe he had set out to keep her mind too occupied to worry. Even if he had been in on a plot to kidnap her friend, he seemed too childlike to mean real harm, so it was entirely possible that he might have been looking out for her.

It was only Kyou's demand for answers that kept her from pondering the question further. She scooted back against the wall as she waited, almost jittery with impatience. She mentally checked off items from her own list of inquiries as Kyou named them, feeling satisfied as he hit all the big ones. Then she settled in, as anxious as anyone to hear the explanations.

Shigure took the lead, unsurprisingly revealing himself as the mastermind as he dropped his casual attitude for an earnest one. Moving into the center of the room, he paced like a lawyer before a jury, pleading his case with more heartfelt sincerity than could possibly be genuine.

"Well Kyon-Kyon, we've all noticed how frustrated you've been recently and we wanted to do something to help. You've been trying to get a meeting with the head of the Sohma family for years now and nothing you've done has worked. It just seemed like maybe it was time to try something other than the polite society methods if we wanted to get results.

"So the last time that we were in town, I asked some questions and did a little snooping. It turns out that the man running the majority of the Sohma businesses is just about your age – Yuki, I think his name was. Anyway, an old friend of mine let me in on the secret that he was getting married soon to some darling little girl from a less prestigious family. He said she was too sweet to believe, cute and friendly and the best cook that he'd met in a long time, and he has some pretty high standards, too. I made him my famous spicy stew once and –"

"Shigure!"

The dark haired man was startled from his memories by the enraged shout and wisely, Kagura thought, decided to get back on track. "Like I was saying, he had a fiancé. I started thinking that maybe she was what was keeping him too busy to meet with you, since you know how those young girls can be." He wiggled his eyebrows before giving Kyou a careful once over. Pursing his lips, he recanted his last statement. "Well, maybe _you_ don't, but I do."

The effect of crimson eyes lit with a burning rage was almost too much to look at head on. Kagura felt a little singed and she wasn't even the one it was directed at. The lack of reaction from the others in the room, including the intended recipient, made her think that it was a more common sight to them and therefore not as powerful after repeated exposures.

"So first I thought that maybe if we kept her out of the way for awhile, he'd have enough time to see you. But then, of course, I realized that if she went missing, he'd probably be out looking for her. And that's when inspiration struck!" He swept his arm into the air and paused with a veteran actor's flair for suspense. "If we kidnapped his fiancé, then Yuki would have to come to us. You would get your meeting and he wouldn't be able to say no to anything you wanted. It would be sort of like holding her for ransom except not really since we're not actually kidnapping her; we're just borrowing her for awhile. So we went over there this morning and that's what we did." He beamed.

If Kagura hadn't been sitting down, she would have collapsed on the floor. The plan that she had just heard had to be the stupidest, most childish thing that anyone had ever tried to pass off as rational. There were more holes in it than in a storeroom full of Swiss cheese and too many possible repercussions than could be named in an hour. The man behind it all had to be a complete –

"Idiot!" The thundering shout snapped through the air, causing Kagura to cringe. If Kyou had been angry before, he was downright furious now. His hands were clenched into tight fists and his face was turning an alarming shade of red. "Do you have any idea what you've done! The whole point of this was to re-establish friendly relations! Friendly! Now you've turned us into kidnappers! They could have us arrested! They could … We're going to … Argh!"

His words trailed off as he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. With his back to the room and his head bowed, all Kagura could see were his heaving shoulders as he obviously fought for control. No one else moved as minutes inched past and his breathing slowed. Without turning around he straightened, his voice coming out with a hiss that made it clear he was speaking through clenched teeth.

"The three of you …are going to go back …to your normal duties now. I do not want to see you until I call for you. We are going to discuss what you've done and what's going to be done to you in return. Go. Now."

Kagura watched in amazement as Momiji, Hiro, and Shigure filed from the room as obediently as children. No matter what else might be said of them, they obviously knew when not to push their luck.

It was only when the sound of their footsteps had faded that Kyou turned to face her. His whole body was ramrod stiff, making his movements seem almost wooden. He bowed his head in her general direction without actually making eye contact. "I apologize for all of this. I promise you that I'll sort everything out and we'll talk. Just not yet. I need some time to …absorb all of this first."

He turned and slowly walked out of the room, leaving Kagura to wonder exactly what sort of ship she'd found herself trapped on.


	13. Kiss 13: The Life For Me Ch 5

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#25 - Fence  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Thirteen: **This kiss is the fifth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Five  
**_Dinner and Realizations_

**x**

Kyou sat in his cabin, too tired to even continue pacing. Although night had long since chased all but the faintest star born light from the sky, he hadn't bothered with any candles or lamps. The darkness was as close a match for his mood as he could get without setting the furniture on fire.

Even years of experience with Shigure's antics hadn't prepared him for his current dilemma. Not only had any miniscule amount of progress that he had made over the years been wiped out, now his difficult task had become almost impossible. How was he supposed to plead his case before people that would likely have him arrested on sight? Even if he did get the chance to explain that the intention behind the act had been good, kidnapping was still kidnapping. He'd be lucky to make it to the end of the week without seeing the inside of a jail cell.

His thoughts turned to the girl at the center of his problems. For someone thrown into such a troubling situation, she seemed to be dealing with it admirably. He'd only seen her for a few minutes but she had seemed remarkable calm. There had been no screaming or tears, although that could have been a result of shock. He hadn't missed the dark looks that she'd been throwing Shigure's way; he'd actually found them rather amusing. He got the feeling that she was a lot stronger than her almost fragile appearance would suggest.

Of course, that could just be wishful thinking on his part. Exactly how much trouble they all faced depended equally on how he chose to handle her return and how she reacted to his decision. The fastest and easiest route also had the worst consequences. If he simply stopped at the nearest port and arranged for her to get home, he couldn't risk showing up in her town again. It would completely destroy any hope of accomplishing his lifelong mission and cause even more problems for the people he was trying to help.

If he could only get the girl to go easy on them, it would be a glimmer of hope to hang onto. She was obviously already aware that Shigure was an idiot; all he needed to do was argue that he was a normally harmless idiot. It shouldn't let me off the hook entirely, but maybe it would allow them to work out some sort of restitution that wouldn't hurt the innocent parties depending on them and what they did.

Kyou let his head drop back against the chair. He was grasping at straws and he knew it. No matter how strong or understanding the girl turned out to be, it didn't change the fact that she'd been stolen from her family and smuggled on to a ship. And even if she forgave it all, her fiancé and the rest of the family probably wouldn't be as kind.

Before he could sink fully into the dark images of possible punishments, a soft tap came at the door. Not wanting to face another Ritsu-episode, he yelled a gruff "Go away!" without moving. An annoyed growl rolled from his throat when the knock came again. It took until the fourth summons for him to jump to his feet and storm across the room. He yanked open the door, mouth opened as he prepared to make his displeasure known.

The angry words died in his throat as he took in the person standing in front of him. The very girl that he had been thinking of waited in the hall with a tentative smile on her face. She'd smoothed her dress and straightened her hair, having managed to cover most of the bruise on her forehead with her bangs. All of that was illuminated by the small lantern resting on a corner of the large tray she was carrying.

When several moments passed and he remained silent, she shifted nervously. "I know that you told me to wait in my room but it's been hours since I ate and I was really hungry. The door was open and no one was around so I sort of wandered until I found the kitchen. Your cook said that you hadn't eaten yet either but he seemed a little scared to come down here. So I thought that since we both needed to eat and we definitely need to talk that maybe we could do both at once. So I got him to make up this tray and come down here and now I'm rambling because I'm feeling really, really, nervous." She laughed lightly and ducked her chin.

Kyou shook his head to clear it. Her appearance at his door was so unexpected that it had knocked him off-balance. He'd thought he'd have more time to make a decision before he'd have to face her. But since she had come to him, he decided there was no time like the present to face his biggest challenge.

"Come in," he said belatedly, turning to allow her entry. It was only after she had taken two steps into the room that he remembered its darkened state. Brushing past her, he hurriedly set about lighting the corner where a narrow table was situated against the wall. The girl lowered the tray onto it with a sigh of relief. As she placed the dishes of food by two chairs, he moved around the room lighting more lanterns until the whole space was brightly lit.

By the time Kyou returned to the table, the girl had finished her task and taken a seat. She'd spread her napkin across her lap but hadn't yet raised a utensil. Kyou took the other chair, feeling oddly nervous as he did so. He was used to eating alone or with his crew, where food fights were more common than proper etiquette. Sharing a table with an obvious lady was making him feel self-conscious.

His guest, on the other hand, seemed totally at ease. As soon as he finished scooting his chair into place she began her meal, trying a small bite of each food and humming her appreciation. Apparently satisfied with the taste, she dug into her dinner. As Kyou watched her eat, he started to relax. There was none of the haughty attitude or elaborate production he'd feared; she was simply a hungry person enjoying a good meal. Much more comfortable, Kyou followed her lead.

It was almost ten minutes later before either of them spoke. The girl laid her fork beside her empty plate with a sigh of satisfaction. Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she dropped it onto the table. Kyou swallowed his last bite before pushing his plate to one side. Leaning back in his chair, he looked across the table with no small amount of curiosity.

"Do you want to move over there?" he asked, motioning towards the grouping of furniture behind them. She nodded in agreement and stood, following him the few steps to the comfortable chairs that sat facing each other. He waited for her to perch on the edge of one before he sank into the other. Wanting to start off with a good attitude, he got his apologies out of the way early.

"I'm sorry I didn't think to have dinner sent to you. The idiots had it covered but I should have guessed that Ritsu would forget once he heard the yelling. He's not exactly the most stable person around and any little thing throws him into a fit."

"Not surprisingly, missing a meal doesn't seem like a very big deal today," she replied, smiling to let him know that she didn't mean anything by the comment. She then dropped her gaze to her lap, focusing her full attention on positioning her hands with a precision that told him she wasn't quite as composed as she seemed.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kyou decided to take charge of the situation. It would be better to get the talking over with so he could know the extent of the damage and start figuring out how to deal with the repercussions. "Is there any chance that you could let me try to explain everything before you fully condemn us as criminals?" The girl's gaze flew up and he thought he read relief in it before she nodded. As he tried to think of where to start, she settled more deeply into her seat, her expression openly curious.

"First of all, Shigure is an idiot. His entire life is based around doing stupid things for no other reason than to cause trouble and amuse himself. He doesn't think before he acts, or if he does, he doesn't care about consequences. He's like a child, really. In this case, he actually thought that he was doing me a favor by bringing you here. I'm sorry about any discomfort he may have caused but I want to assure you that we'll get you home just as soon as we can. I can't apologize enough for you being dragged into this; you never should have been involved.

"We'll face whatever charges you want to press but I'd like to request that you allow me time to get some things in order before then. There are some people who depend on this ship's trade for their livelihood and I want to make sure that they're taken care of before I turn myself in. They didn't know anything about this and it wouldn't be fair to make them suffer for it."

For the first time since starting his speech, Kyou took a good look at his companion. Her head was tilted to the side and she seemed to be studying his face carefully. His nervousness returned full force as he waited for her to pass judgment on him and his comments. Long moments passed as he waited tensely, watching for any change of expression that might clue him in on her frame of mind. When she sat back in her chair, she looked calm but otherwise gave nothing away until she spoke.

"I think that it's very admirable for you to accept whatever punishment is coming from this whole thing, especially since it's pretty clear that you had nothing to do with it. I also thank you for actually talking to me instead of just dealing with me. You could have easily shut me up in a room and made all the decisions, and you could have tried to pass all the blame onto the others or skip out on it all together. You seem to be a very reasonable man and that's why I was wondering if you'd mind answering some questions for me before we decide where to go from here?"

Kyou blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the odd request. Then he shrugged, deciding that it was the least that he could do, especially when she seemed inclined to go along with his wishes about the others. She was being much kinder than she had to be and if confessing his secrets would do any good, he was ready to spill his guts. To a point, anyway. There were some things that not even the promise of lenience would pry out of him.

At his nod, she began. "Shigure said that this kidnapping was a way to get you a meeting with Yuki, right?" Seeing his confusion, she clarified. "Yuki is the head of the family. I was wondering why you didn't just make an appointment if you wanted to talk to him so badly."

Kyou laughed but the sound was anything but happy. "Believe me; I've tried. For the past five years, we come to town twice before the cold season, staying a couple of days at a time. I've visited every one of the offices that I could think of, including the main offices, with and without appointments. Each time I'm either turned away outright or toyed with until I leave on my own. This guy treats me like I'm some contagious disease he's afraid of catching."

She frowned. "That really doesn't sound like Yuki. He's considerate in his own right and he takes his position very seriously. I can't imagine him putting someone off like that …unless there's some reason you can think of?"

Kyou hesitated, unsure how much detail he wanted to go into to answer that question. On the one hand, if he told her the whole story, there was a chance she might see his side of things and maybe even help him somewhere down the line. On the other, he might let her in on the very information that would turn her against him like so many members of the family she was about to join. There was even the possibility that she had already learned something about them in passing and just hadn't put two and two together yet. Unwilling to completely rule out either happening, Kyou settled on middle ground.

"There was something of a falling out between our families a few generations ago. The bad blood seems to have filtered down, no matter that no one who was actually involved in the split is alive anymore."

She appeared to accept his answer but the troubled expression didn't fade from her face. "It still doesn't make sense to me. Yuki was always the first one to say that the way the family mindlessly holds grudges is ridiculous. Most of the first changes he made when he assumed his position were to stop unfair practices like that. I can't see him sticking to a feud he has nothing to do with." She sighed and rubbed her temple. "Besides, if whatever caused the split was terrible enough to blacklist an entire family, I'm sure I would have heard about it. That kind of gossip is never in short supply."

Since that was exactly one of the things that Kyou was afraid of, he hurried to close the subject. "Whether your fiancé is doing it on purpose, whether he even knows about it at all, I don't know. All I do know is that over a dozen visits during the past five years haven't gotten me any closer than I was before them." He was surprised by the grimace that his comments brought. He quickly reviewed what he'd said, worried that he might have inadvertently said something offensive.

"You've been so open with me, I guess it's only fair that I come clean to you." Her cheeks were flushed as she looked at him with a mixture of guilt and pleading in her eyes. "Um, you see, Shigure might have intended to kidnap Tohru Honda, Yuki's fiancé, but I sort of lied to him. You see, Tohru's a really sweet girl but she doesn't always handle crisis very well. So, since I'm better at taking care of myself, I said I was her and let them bring me here."

She'd spoken the final words in such a rush that it took a moment for him to sort through them in his mind. When they did sink in, he couldn't hide his puzzlement. "If you're not this Tohru girl, then who are you? How do you know so much about the Sohma family?"

"I guess that's to be expected since I am one. Kagura Sohma, Yuki's cousin, at your service." She did a sort of half bow without rising, laughing awkwardly as she awaited his reaction to her bombshell.

Kyou leaned forward, shoving his hand roughly through his hair as he closed his eyes. The words he had just heard could either be the greatest gift or the worst news he would ever receive. He wanted to take the time to appreciate his last moment of sitting on the fence, not knowing which way he would fall. He needed to take just one more breath before the world that he'd worked so hard to build rearranged itself in a way that was totally out of his hands.

"Are you okay?" The softly spoken question drifted to him over the roaring in his ears. He opened his eyes and stared at Kagura blankly for a moment before gathering himself. Then he straightened his shoulders and embraced his destiny.

"Hello, Kagura. My name's Kyou, Kyou Sohma."

**x**

Momiji sat on the counter in the galley, happily crunching on a carrot he'd swiped from Ritsu moments earlier. Hiro sat in a chair he'd positioned in the far corner of the room – the only spot with room for it that wasn't in the way – with his arms resting loosely on his chest. Shigure stood beside the counter in the middle of the space, lazily watching as Ritsu washed the last of their dinner dishes.

"So what do you think they're talking about in there?" Momiji asked, his words slightly muffled by a full mouth. "It's been almost an hour since she went in." He was sure about the time since he, Shigure, and Hiro had all been watching through the door of an empty cabin. They'd seen the girl wander down the hallway and enter the galley, leaving several minutes later with a food-laden tray balanced in her hands.

Since then they'd waited, taking turns creeping to Kyou's door and trying to hear what was happening inside. There hadn't been any yelling or ominous noises, so all they could assume was that things were going peacefully. That was a good sign for Kyou, not so good for them. It was entirely possible that the two were conferring on what punishment would be exacted on them for the stunt.

"Maybe they got into a fight and knocked each other out. Look what happened the first time they met," Hiro pointed out with just a hint of malicious glee in his tone. Even five years of being trained by Kyou hadn't completely removed the rebellious streak that enjoyed others' bad luck. Since the orange haired captain had won almost every one of the many verbal and occasionally physical spats they indulged in from time to time, seeing him brought low by someone was the high point of Hiro's day. The fact that that someone had been a girl would keep him smirking for a week.

Shigure shook his head. "I don't think so. It looked like they were getting along by the time we got back there." The grin that crossed his face could only be described as lecherous and was promptly ignored by his companions. Hiro directed his darkest glare at the older man.

"This is all your fault. It was your stupid idea and now we're all gonna get it. I've never seen Kyou this mad before. He couldn't even finish yelling at us."

Momiji nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Hiro's right. And I feel bad for the girl. We'll reach the next friendly port early tomorrow afternoon. I'll bet Kyou will send her home from there and she won't even have been able to have any fun. All she got to do was see was the inside of a room, fight with Kyou, and now she'll be left alone in some strange place. It doesn't seem fair. I thought we'd at least get a chance to show her some fun places, you know, to make up for the whole stealing her away thing."

"Oh, my young ones, you should both be more like me. I'm not worried at all. Just relax; things have a way of working out for the best. You might just be surprised where all of this ends up."

Both of the younger boys stared at Shigure, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He'd been the one with the brilliant plan and now that it had fallen through, he seemed a little too unconcerned. It was looking more and more likely that their mastermind knew a whole lot more than he was letting on.

All four occupants jumped when a loud thud filled the room. Ritsu shrieked and dropped a plate as the others turned at breakneck speed to find Kyou framed in the doorway. He held a tray stacked with empty dishes in one hand with the other still fisted against the wall where he had slammed it. His face was expressionless as he carefully placed the tray on the counter; his tone was equally void of emotion when he spoke.

"There won't be any changes in our course; we're still heading for home with no stops on the way. From now on, the girl is our guest and isn't to be bothered. That means all three of you should stay away from her." His eyes moved from Momiji to Hiro to Shigure as he clarified his restrictions. "No asking endless questions. No teasing or practical jokes. And absolutely no flirting."

He braced his hands on his hips before he went on. "She's going to be staying with us through our layover and coming back with us when we make our last trip of the year. Since she'll be using that time to decide how to react to the stupid stunt you all pulled, I'd be on your best behavior until then."

"But that's three months from now," Momiji exclaimed.

"I know. Since she's also considering helping us get a meeting with the head of the family, I will not accept you screwing this up. If I have to lock all of you in a cellar until she's gone, I'll do it."

Shigure smiled. "So then, everything turned out right! She's helping you get the meeting, just like we thought she would. My plan worked perfectly!"

Kyou's eyes flashed and his hands clenched into bloodless fists at his side. "Nothing about this is right! The fact that we're not all headed for prison right now is in _spite_ of every action that you've taken since we docked. Your little plan was so irresponsible that it defies all laws of man and nature that it turned out even remotely well. You lucked out, plain and simple." Kyou turned on his heel but paused in the doorway, throwing one last comment over his shoulder. "And just so you know, you idiots kidnapped the wrong girl."

"Something about this feels really weird," Hiro said when Kyou's footsteps had faded from the hallway.

"Being good for three months isn't really so bad. I'm sure we'll all do fine."

Hiro shook off Momiji's encouraging words. "Not that. I just realized that a plan of Shigure's actually worked."

The blonde froze. "You're right; that is weird."


	14. Kiss 14: The Life For Me Ch 6

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#2 **- **newsletter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Fourteen: **This kiss is the sixth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Six  
**_Arrivals and Answers_

**x**

The letter arrived in Yuki's hands just after noon on the fifth day of Kagura's absence. He was pacing in his office, his shoulders drooping with fatigue and dejection. The latest report from the detective lay on his desk, crumpled from his reaction to its lack of any new information. The summons to lunch had come almost ten minutes earlier but he'd ignored it, unwilling to face the family with continued dark tidings.

In the days that had passed, every one of the spare bedrooms had been claimed and seeing so many faces reflecting his own dropping hopes was becoming more than he could stand. He knew that they were looking to him for support and it was more pressure added to his already stressed state. It took him all day to dredge up a false air of confidence to wear to dinner; he knew that it would be no use trying to attempt it twice. Even if he could manage the company, his appetite had disappeared so thoroughly that he knew he wouldn't be able to swallow a single bite.

Yuki headed back toward his seat determined to accomplish something before the end of the day, even if it was just a single totaled column or scrawled memo. He'd only taken two steps toward his desk before the door was slammed inward without warning. Turning wide eyes to the now open portal, he saw a familiar looking man framed there, nearly bent double with his hands braced on his knees as he panted for breath.

"What the – Saunders, is that you?" Recognizing one of the clerks from the family-owned shipping offices, Yuki hurried across the room to the man's side. As soon as he was near enough, the older man thrust something in his direction without straightening. Taking it without thinking, Yuki found himself looking at a much-handled envelope. The surface was smudged and carried more than a few dirty fingerprints through which he could just make out his own name scrawled across the front.

His heart hammered suddenly in his chest as he recognized the handwriting, the looping letters and fanciful swish underneath. He'd been passed enough notes in school and read enough requests as an adult to know Kagura's writing on sight.

He stood frozen for a few moments as he fought the warring rush of hope and fear. That his cousin had written the letter made him want to believe that she was all right but he knew that the relief that he couldn't quite tamp down might be premature. The missive could have been written immediately after she was snatched, leaving plenty of time for something dreadful to have happened to her since.

Not ready to confirm one possibility or the other, Yuki turned his attention to the man slowly regaining his breath in front of him. "Where did you get this?" his asked, his tone a bit sharper than he'd intended.

"A man came into the office a little while ago with it, said that it was urgent and needed to be brought to you immediately. Apparently someone paid him to bring it to us so that we could get it to you."

"Why didn't he bring it here himself?"

Saunders hesitated. "He was the sort of person much more at home at the docks than in a …neighborhood like this one," he answered delicately, obviously trying to explain in the most unoffending way possible. Yuki wondered briefly whether it was the man Saunders was showing consideration to or if he thought saying that the missive came from a common sailor would bother his boss. Dismissing the thought as unimportant for the moment, Yuki thanked him for his quick action and sent him to the kitchen for some water after his run.

As soon as he vanished from sight, Yuki returned his full attention to the note. He hesitated for only the slightest moment before ripping it open. While he was sure the others would have wanted him to wait until they were present, he didn't want to have an audience should it be bad news. No matter what it said, he'd need time to present it in the best light. Besides, the information it contained might call for immediate action and precious time could be wasted by not reading it at once.

He read only as far as the first paragraph before his arm swung back to his side and his eyes fluttered closed. And for the first time in almost a week, he smiled.

**x**

Kagura stood on the deck of the ship, enjoying the warm breeze as it tossed her hair and tugged at her clothes. She knew there were a million things she ought to be feeling - homesick, guilty for worrying her family and not going home, some fear at heading into the unknown - but for the moment, the only emotion coursing through her was a liberating sense of freedom. Although she missed her family, there was something utterly refreshing about being away from them. She'd been apart from them before, of course, but never without at least one person monitoring her behavior and reporting it back to someone else. For the moment she was firmly in charge of her own life with no one to answer to for her choices.

One of the things that had allowed her to relax had been the posting of a long, informative letter to Yuki, telling him what had happened and that she was well. It had been hard for her to contain her excitement as she relayed the surprising information that Kyou had revealed to her. She knew that he would understand her need to go with them; he probably would have done the same thing if he had been in her place. As it was, she was sure he would calm everyone's nerves and relay the news that she was okay. And if what she passed along about Kyou's continuous ill treatment at the main office proved true, he'd have his own matters to deal with at home.

Imagine her stumbling on members of the branch of the family that had been missing for more than sixty years! And through a misguided kidnapping, no less. It was a dramatic tale worthy of a novel or stage play and quite the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration at her adventure even while the logical part of her mind reminded her of all the horrible things that might have happened.

But didn't, she thought firmly. Tohru was safe from any further threats and she had gotten herself a vacation that would serve the duel purpose of solving the family's most pressing mystery. Then she could return home, tell her tales, and settle back into her normal life.

A dim twinge of disappointment assailed her at the thought. She loved her family, friends, and life, but there was something about it all that had become somehow dissatisfying, even before the appearance of Shigure. She felt like she was playing a part, acting like the person she knew she was expected to be. It was hardly a new thing; she'd been doing it since childhood and it was made clear that her …enthusiastic outbursts were unseemly. But lately the effort to be the perfect lady all the time, careful never to say or do anything to disgrace the family had been grating on her like never before.

Maybe, Kagura allowed, that had been part of the reason she'd been so quick to put herself in Tohru's place. Though it mostly was for the love of her friend, there could have been other ways of handling the situation. Although the majority of them would have put them all in danger instead of just her, that wasn't why she'd dismissed them. A part of her had _wanted_ something to happen.

And maybe that was the biggest reason she needed to take the time and make this journey with her newfound relatives. She needed to get this desire for adventure out of her system in a reasonably safe setting before she found herself doing something even more foolish with much less pleasing results. She'd have her fun and enjoy her freedom and go back with an appreciation for the simple routines she had left behind.

Or so she hoped.

Forcing such heavy thoughts from her mind, she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the fresh, salty air. If Yuki or the others could see me now, she thought, looking down at the loose, faded shirt she wore over slightly tight trousers borrowed from Momiji. Her hair was loose and tangled from the wind, her feet bare and her nose undoubtedly well on the way to becoming sun burnt. There was no trace of the calm and dignified woman who headed charities and hosted balls to be seen.

Twisting around so that her back was pressed to the railing, Kagura let her eyes wander over the various crewmembers working about the ship. Kyou had told her that he'd given strict orders for them not to bother her. She could only assume that was why not a one of them had approached her or done more than nod to acknowledge her presence among them. While she appreciated the consideration, she was quickly getting bored with her own company. She didn't think it would be defying the captain's orders for them to have a simple conversation with her but so far, none had dared try.

'I guess I'll just have to make the first move,' she thought, pushing away from the barrier. 'The next person I see is going to talk to me whether they like it or not.'

That determination suffered a harsh blow when a familiar but not at all welcomed figure came into view sauntering her way. Shigure had his hands shoved in his pockets and was whistling like he hadn't a care in the world. Kagura had already turned to duck from sight when something that had been bothering her rose in her mind. Squaring her shoulders, she turned once more and strode in his direction.

He smiled as he saw her approaching, slowing his steps so that she could keep pace with him. "Good morning! I see you're out and enjoying the lovely weather. You'll want to make sure you're below deck before this afternoon, though. It smells like there's going to be a bit of roughness ahead."

Nodding distractedly, Kagura tried to decide how to phrase the question that she wanted to ask him. After a sideways glance from the corner of her eye at his lazy demeanor, she determined that he was unlikely to be offended if she just came out and asked directly. "I've been meaning to ask you something. I've been onboard for almost a week now and I haven't seen any of the men that were in my parlor the day you came to take Tohru. Why is that?"

He laughed. "Because they weren't crew members. I found them at a tavern not so far from the docks and hired them for an hour. Probably the most honest work any of them has ever done, too."

"Why did you need to hire men?"

"Well, it wasn't like anyone who actually worked on this ship would have come, my cousins excluded, of course. They all have what they call loyalty to Kyou that would have made them tell him about my plans, which would have ruined them all. Besides, they were hardly the type to inspire immediate submission to my wishes. They're much too clean cut to pull off being threatening, as you may have noticed."

Kagura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "So you hired strange men from a tavern to come to my house and threaten a bunch of girls so you could kidnap one of them in order to force a friendly meeting for your captain, who wouldn't have wanted you to do any of that in the first place?"

"Exactly," he exclaimed, seeming pleased that she had grasped the situation and completely ignoring her obvious implications that the entire idea was absurd.

"But how did you know enough to find out that Tohru would be there with just a group of women and no men but not enough to know that I wasn't her? It seems a little odd …" She paused as she could have sworn Shigure gave a slight twitch beside her. In the next moment he had stopped, looking down at her with a hangdog expression complete with pout and what she could have sworn was a slight sheen to his eyes.

"Come now, be nice! I did my best; that's all anyone can ask, isn't it?"

Against her will, a giggle escaped her throat and all thoughts of the discrepancies in his information flew from her mind. It just didn't seem possible that he would have any ulterior motives or plans. He was too open and carefree to manage such a feat. He started walking again and she followed, readying her next set of questions. "So how did you guys come to own this ship? And why is Kyou the captain and not you, since you're older?" The answer to the second question seemed obvious to her but she thought it would be slightly rude not to ask.

"Well, it's kind of a complicated thing and all tied into what happened when the Sohma family split apart." It was his turn to give her a sideways glance. "How much of that story do you know?"

Kagura took a deep breath and repeated the tale that her grandmother had been so fond of telling her when she was a child. "It was tradition for generations that the first child of the oldest Sohma family line inherit the control of all the businesses and the power over all the lesser relatives. This worked out well as that family had a long propensity for their firstborns to be sons. Then the reigning head's wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Of the midwives present, one swore that the boy was the eldest and had the right to lead while the other said it was the girl. Since neither one would change their story and the mother said she had been in too much pain at the time to notice, there was no way of knowing the truth.

"Shortly after that, the father of the twins died. Their mother, temporarily in charge, gave the order that they were both to be raised as boys, with no one but herself allowed to know which was her daughter and which was her son. She might have done it to ensure that the choice of the next leader was an unbiased one, but it turned out to be a bad thing. Other relatives pitted them against each other as they grew up, rewarding the one that did better in their eyes and harshly reprimanding the one that failed. Knowing that one day a decision would be made, the twins became almost mortal enemies, campaigning against each other to win the approval of the most powerful sub-families.

"Just before their sixteenth birthday, the twins' mother died and the choice had to be made. Favor was definitely leaning one way until, as a last ditch effort, the lesser-liked twin revealed the other's identity as his sister. Suddenly most of the people who had pushing for her to lead switched their support to her brother just because he was a man. Saying she didn't want any part of a family that would think gender a better reason for appointing a leader than fairness and proved ability, the girl left. The handful of families that had maintained their support of her even after her exposure went with her. Her brother, fearing that she would return and retake the place even he knew should have been hers forbid anyone from having contact with or even looking for the ones who had left. No one saw any of them again and even their names were wiped from family records." She turned expectant eyes toward Shigure. "Does that about cover it?"

He smiled, a completely different one than she had seen before, with no hint of sarcasm or pretense. "Yeah, that's just about everything. So the families left and headed off to find a place to live beyond the Sohma influence. As powerful and well connected as the Sohmas were even then, they had to go pretty far. By the time they found a town where they could settle, more than a few were regretting leaving, realizing all the advantages they were going to have to go without from then on. They blamed their unhappiness on the one they had followed, even though she had never asked them to come."

Mentally filing that information away to tell the others once she returned home, Kagura frowned slightly. "That's interesting and all, but I don't see how it's related to this ship or Kyou being it's captain."

"Well, even though she hadn't asked them to come and she was a little angry at being blamed for their own choices, the forsaken Sohma leader felt obligated to try and take care of them. She couldn't help it, I think; it was what she had been brought up to do, after all. So she spent her life finding them jobs and promising that someday they would be able to return to the privileged existences they had abandoned for her sake. Unfortunately, she died before she could keep that promise."

"It's really unfair that they wanted to blame her. They left of their own free will; she didn't force them into it. If anything they owed her for getting them a way from the oppression of their family and her brother." Even though it had all happened long before even her father had been born, Kagura found herself feeling offended for the woman. She had stood up against an unreasonable situation and still gotten mistreated by the ones who had claimed to support her.

The mocking-free smile made its second appearance as Shigure nodded. "I completely agree and so did a lot of the people around her at the time. But that didn't change her mind about what she had to do. She worked herself to an early grave for them and it still wasn't enough. When she died, they started in on her husband and, when they were old enough to understand, her children. They all thought that her living relatives had inherited her debt and needed to restore them to their lives of leisure, one way or another."

He laughed a little, some of his usual humor returning. "Of course that was decades ago and things have changed. Most people have accepted their lives and there's hardly any violence over the so-called obligation anymore. It would likely have faded entirely if it weren't for the fact that her descendants inherited her streak of honor. Certain people can't accept the weight of a debt, real or imagined, riding on them. Those certain people would work any enterprise that would afford them enough money to take care of the people who depended on them while getting close to a place where they might be able to make more permanent repentance."

He fell silent after that statement, allowing Kagura to put the pieces together on her own. Kyou must be the descendant he was speaking of and the one who had started the shipping venture, which would explain his position as captain. It also explained his desire for a meeting with Yuki and most likely the reason why that meeting had been denied. There were plenty of traditionally minded people working under Yuki who wouldn't hesitate before continuing an old grudge and refusing to speak with a disowned family member.

"It's really stupid that some people are so willing to let old rules dictate their lives," she said softly, almost to herself. Shigure heard her anyway and replied cheerfully.

"Yes, it is. But then sometimes these things actually work out for the best in the end. Hard roads can lead to some good places, you know." Before she could show her surprise at being given homespun wisdom from perhaps the least likely source ever, his gaze shot to the sky. His brows drew lower as he studied the expanse, smoothing only when he returned his eyes to her face. "Looks like we've caught up with the storm. You should get below decks now."

He didn't give her a chance to argue as he gripped her arm and walked her back towards the opening. Kagura looked up, seeing that the sky had indeed darkened considerably during their conversation. The small strip of water that she could see was much rougher than earlier, the waves rocking the ship growing larger by the moment.

Just as she was descending the ladder into the depths of the ship, Shigure spoke again. His voice was so quiet she thought she had imagined it at first, his words lost within the gusting wind. She paused mid-step and cast him a questioning look but he had already turned a corner and vanished. Resuming her movements, she headed to her cabin to spend a restless night fighting off seasickness from the bucking ship and pondering what he might have said.

It was early the following morning when Kagura was woken from a sound sleep by a round of insistent knocking on her door. She rolled from the small bed and stumbled across the room, dragging a borrowed robe over her shoulders as she went. It took several hard blinks before she could see clearly enough to find the handle and open the door. When she did, Momiji's beaming face filled her line of sight. He was almost vibrating with delight as he made his announcement.

"We're here."


	15. Kiss 15: The Life For Me Ch 7

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#8 -Our Own World  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Fifteen: **This kiss is the seventh chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Seven  
**_The Other Home_

Momiji bounced down the hall the moment that his announcement had been made, leaving Kagura staring dumbly after him while struggling to absorb what he had said. When the words finally sank into her mind, the lingering haziness of sleep vanished instantly. The boat was about to reunite with its home port and she would get her first glimpse of where her wayward family members had spent the last sixty years.

Turning on her heel she hurried to get dressed, rushing around so quickly that she managed to stub her toe on the doorjamb and bang her knee against the bunk before even making it across the room. Limply slightly, Kagura finally found her dress where she had been keeping it for just this occasion. It was more than a little wrinkled but even so, much preferable to the breeches and loose shirts she had been making do with. She wanted to make a good first impression and that wouldn't be accomplished looking like a stowaway who'd spent half the trip being dragged behind the ship.

Without a mirror in the small cabin, she did the best she could with the basin of cold water and the comb Ritsu had shyly loaned her. Tears came into her eyes as she dragged it through her hair, hitting numerous knots likely created by the whipping wind from the storm of the night before. Silently berating herself for not taking the time to deal with them before going to sleep, she worked most of them out and pulled her hair into a passable loose braid.

Since she didn't know if she would get the chance to return to the room she'd called home for the days past, she took the time to gather all the borrowed clothing into a pile. If she wasn't able to do it herself, it would be easy for someone else to return the items to their real owners. With any luck she would be able to secure more appropriate clothing once she arrived in the town. Gently resting the comb atop the stack, Kagura took one last look around and then headed out the door.

An odd sight met her eyes the moment that she stepped onto the deck after making her way through the deserted hall. Nearly every member of the crew, all pushing against each other to gain the best position, blocked the railing where she had stood the night before. As she approached, a few of them moved aside to give her room, allowing her to see for the first time what all the fuss was about.

Directly ahead and quickly approaching was what looked like a small, seaside town. What passed for a dock lay at one end, surrounded by a cluster of small boxy buildings that could only be businesses. A short distance away but still on the coastline were other buildings, some two stories and all brightly painted, leading Kagura to assume they were houses.

As the ship drew even closer to the shore she was able to make out more and more details, from the winding paths leading away from the village and into the dense wood behind it to the crowd of people waiting at the dock. From the combination of men, women, and children, she could only assume they were family members of the crew, eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones after more than a month apart.

For the first time since realizing that her life wasn't in danger, Kagura found a squirmy feeling invading the pit of her stomach. Just because the Sohmas on the ship had quickly accepted her didn't mean things would go as smoothly with the others. She'd seen firsthand that Momiji, Shigure, Ritsu, and Hiro were far from being like the people she normally associated with; it was likely they were the exceptions rather than the rule. Kyou had seemed okay with her presence, especially once she'd told him that she'd do her best to smooth the way for his requests with her side of the family. But then he hadn't spent more than ten combined minutes with her after their first discussion. If he had a problem with her, it would have been simple for him to hide it so as not to interfere with his eventual goals.

What kinds of people were waiting on the deck? How would they react to hearing who she was and that she was going to be staying with them for three months? Would they like her? Would she like them?

She swallowed hard as the questions whirled through her mind, twisting and multiplying until she felt their weight pressing down on her. The adventurous spirit she had so embraced the night before had vanished, changing things that she had thought were benefits into distressing realizations. She was alone and away from home for the first time without so much as an acquaintance to watch over her. She would be depending on people she didn't know for every aspect of her existence, from a roof over her head to food to fill her stomach.

Kagura shuddered as a sense of panic filled her. Now that the moment of truth was approaching, she wasn't sure she could go through with it after all. What had possessed her to think that she could possibly be the kind of person who could do something like this? Social situations were hard enough for her when they were on familiar ground and people she was comfortable with surrounded her.

Just as she was working out details of what it would take to get herself home as quickly as possible, the sound of a clearing throat made her jump. Whipping around, she saw Kyou standing behind her. He wore a slightly less battered version of the loose shirt and trousers he'd worn the whole voyage but had otherwise made no outward concessions to their arrival.

"The dock's going to be pretty crowded when we land. Everyone's going to be worked up over us being back and finding out what we've brought with us. If they get a look at you, things will be even worse than usual and it'll take twice as long to get everything squared away." He didn't look at her as he spoke, instead squinting at the shoreline, the sky overhead, and the milling crewmen that were slowly drifting back to their duties.

She felt a renewed burst of unease at his seeming inability to meet her eyes. It added weight to her earlier questions about his thoughts concerning her presence on his ship. Her fingers had knotted themselves together, her damp palms touching, before he spoke again.

"It'd probably be better if you waited below deck until things settled down a bit. Once the cargo is unloaded and the crowd disperses, I'll come and get you. Then we'll figure out what to do with you while you're here." His tone was brisk, gruff even, as though he resented having to take the time.

If she hadn't been watching him not watching her so closely, Kagura would have missed the hint of pink in his cheeks. Slightly confused by it, she followed him back down the stairs she had only just climbed without a word. Their destination turned out to be not the cabin that she had occupied, but the larger, much more comfortable one where they had dined together her first night on the ship. She stepped inside but Kyou paused at the door, his hands braced against the frame. "I'm sure you can find something to kill time; I'll try to be as quick as I can." Without another word, he turned and vanished from sight.

Kagura remained where she had first stopped, a handful of steps from the door. Her earlier nervousness had vanished in the face of her puzzlement over his odd behavior. She would have thought that he was upset with her if it hadn't been for that added color in his cheeks. It was almost like he was embarrassed about something. But how could that be? All he'd been doing was getting her out of the way …

When realization hit, she could have smacked herself in the head. He was getting her out of the way, but she doubted it had much to do with her being a hindrance to the men's duties. If she'd remained where she was, she would have been subject to numerous stares and questions, all things that would have sent her over the edge of hysteria that she'd been teetering on. As intense as the anxiety that she had been feeling was, some of it had to have shown on her face. He'd probably noticed and then done what he could to make her more comfortable. The only question was if his chosen method had been for her benefit or his.

A small smile played on her lips as she looked around for the first time. The first night, the room had been cloaked in flickering shadows from the candles and her attention had been on Kyou rather than the décor. Now that she was seeing it in daylight, there were quite a few things she was noticing that had been lost on her before.

In the far corner sat the bed, nearly twice as large as the one she'd been sleeping on. The blankets on it were twins to the ones she had been using, though, simple but clean and nothing like the thick comforter on her bed at home. The same thing could be said of the table, dinner chairs, and reading chairs across from the bed. They were all rather plain but in good condition, obviously well taken care of. She wondered if the room was decorated as it was because of choice or necessity. Maybe Kyou liked to keep his surrounding unfussy and orderly or maybe there wasn't enough money for it to be any other way. Shigure had mentioned that Kyou felt responsible for making life easier for the people in their town. Maybe he went without luxuries in order to accomplish that goal.

Uncomfortable thinking about money when it was neither any of her business nor anything she'd ever had to worry about, Kagura returned her attention to the only other piece of furniture in the room. Secured to the wall just behind the door was a large hutch with latching doors. All three shelves were crammed with books of shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Curious and bolstered by Kyou's comment about finding something to occupy herself, she moved to stand in front of it. The glass was sparkling clean and she was easily able to make out the titles of some of the books. Others were too thin or worn for the lettering to be clear.

There was a collection of books crowding one corner that caught her eye. They looked well worn and were sitting within easy reach. Perhaps they were favorites? Unable to resist the impulse, Kagura flipped the latch and opened the doors. Randomly selecting one from the group, she carefully opened the cover and peered inside. She was startled to see that the words it contained were handwritten. She started to put it back, thinking it was a journal and not wanting to invade someone's private thoughts.

Just before she snapped it closed, the heading caught her eye. Rather than a date as she had been expecting, the words "Chapter One" was carefully written in large letters.

'So it is a book,' she thought, closing the cabinet doors with one hand, the tome still held in the other. 'Maybe someone was writing to fill the hours while they were sailing. I wonder what it's about?'

Planning to read just the first few sentences, Kagura soon found herself drawn into a vivid and exciting plot. The characters danced into her mind as the story drew her in. Soon she couldn't read fast enough, hating to pause even long enough to turn the pages. Without looking up, she backed her way into one of the chairs nearby and gave herself over entirely to the tale contained within the pages.

She was so absorbed in the book that she lost all track of time. It seemed like only moments had passed before she heard a loud cough. Regretfully pulling her attention away from the story, she looked up to find Kyou standing in the doorway once more. His hair was even more ruffled than she had ever seen it before, his clothes wrinkled and sweat stained. She felt a guilty flush steep into her cheeks at the thought that he had been working hard while she'd been idly sitting around.

Closing the book with a muffled thud, she got to her feet. It was with surprise that she noted the light coming through the window was different than it had been when she'd sat down. The gentle light of morning had been replaced with the heavier beams of mid-afternoon.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you. I got a little …wrapped up," she explained, lamely gesturing to the book in her hand. Kyou stepped forward, turning it so that he could see the cover. He nodded.

"One of Shigure's. The man's an idiot, but he's written some pretty good stuff. Just don't tell him I said that; he'll never shut up about it. Almost everyone here has read some of his stories and it goes to his head. He refuses to accept that they have little choice since we don't manage to bring in new books very often." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "The cargo's unloaded and most of the people have gone home. Are you ready?"

Kagura nodded and moved to return the book to its shelf but Kyou shook his head. "Keep it. When you're done, if you want, I can lend you some of his other ones." The red tinge was back bringing a smile to Kagura's lips that Kyou didn't see as he quickly turned. "Let's go."

The deck was almost empty as they crossed it, with just two men carefully completing last minute duties. As he had said, the crowd from earlier was gone with just a handful of stragglers milling around. None of them paid much attention to Kyou and Kagura as they left the ship, too wrapped in their own business to bother with anyone else's.

Kyou led her towards the town she had seen before they docked, following a well-worn path past grassy meadows and flower covered hills. He seemed in no hurry to speak and so Kagura was left to enjoy the noises of nature as they walked. The sun was shining warmly but a nice breeze kept her from feeling too hot, even with her exertion and the dress that seemed unaccountably bulky after her time in britches. Feeling her spirits lifted by the scene, she fancied the area had put on its best behavior to welcome her. As silly as the thought was, she found comfort in it and a warm smile curved her lips as a slight skip made its way into her step.

The tops of the tallest roofs were coming into sight in the distance before the next word was said. Kyou's stride shortened just slightly and Kagura automatically slowed to match it, casting a curious look his way as she did. Seeing that he had an expression of great concentration on his face, she bit back her question and waited for him to speak.

"I talked to Hiro's mother when she came to meet him at the dock. She said she'd be happy to let you stay with them for a few days until something better can be worked out for the rest of your stay. There are a couple of places that you could occupy, but they're not in perfect shape at the moment. It won't take much to get them order, though."

He paused, raking a hand through his hair. His mouth opened once, twice, but no words came out. He gave a disgusted huff skyward before stopping in the middle of the path and looking her full in the face. "Look, you need to understand that life around here is a lot different from the one that you're used to. We're pretty much self-sufficient; what we need, we manage to handle ourselves whenever possible. Everyone knows everyone else and has for almost all their lives. About the only contact that we have with outsiders is when the boat goes to trade goods.

"I can tell you right now that you're going to get a lot of attention once everyone gets used to your being here. You'll get asked a million questions, so you should brace yourself for it now. I imagine you will be getting a lot of visitors, probably enough to drive you crazy. Just keep in mind that they all mean well; I can't think of anyone that would hold your being one of the other half of the family against you, at least not anyone who would do anything about it. Even so, Momiji and Hiro will hang around when we get you your permanent place to stay. As part of their punishment, they'll be cleaning the place and taking care of wood and so on."

Kagura looked down at her wrinkled and travel worn dress, grimacing slightly at the thought of greeting the line of people wearing it. She didn't consider herself a vain person but she'd also never had to go about in anything close to the rumpled state she was currently in. Borrowed clothes on the ship had solved the problem temporarily but she couldn't run around in breeches now that they'd landed.

Before she could gather the courage to ask about additional clothing, Kyou, apparently having noticed where her focus had gone, spoke. "Shigure's taking care of your clothes. We always bring back material and some ready-made outfits for everyone. He's usually the one that takes care of it since, as you may have noticed, he has a way of sweet talking people about him. I guess he gets nice things; at least, no one has ever complained before. Anyway, he said he was sure there were some things in that would work for you."

"I don't want to put anyone out; if someone's been waiting for those things, it's hardly fair for me to-"

Kyou cut her off with a wave of his hand. "It's not a problem. He said he got a good deal on a wardrobe someone didn't pay for; they weren't the right size for anyone here but he figured they could be altered. He thinks they're your size, though, so problem solved."

Kagura nodded meekly as she made a mental note to somehow reimburse them for all they were doing for her. She was sure that Yuki would see about bringing them back into the family if everything checked out but this was something her honor wanted her to handle on her own. She doubted straight money would do it so she would have to think of some other gesture, one that they would have no problem accepting.

Pushing the problem to the back of her mind, she followed beside Kyou as he started walking again. He pointed out the houses of Momiji and Shigure, the small store and various other public buildings. A vague gesture towards one of the paths leading into the thick trees behind the town indicated his own home and was quickly overshadowed by a louder comment that they were getting close to Hiro's home. As a woman with a warm smile welcomed her, a small girl peering around her skirts, Kyou said his farewells and loped away.

As the days passed, Kagura learned that Kyou's explanation upon their arrival was very true. It was as though the family had created their own little world that they guarded jealously. When someone was accepted in, though, it was with open arms from the whole group. Kagura found not only a place for herself among them, but new friends as well. The two days she spent with Hiro's mother was more than enough for her to come to adore the older woman. A bit of a ditz but open and caring, she reminded her strongly of Tohru.

Momiji had the same effect, especially when one learned what lay behind his smile. His mother had been unhappy in the small town and, wanting to please her, his father had left. Momiji had stayed behind, not wanting to leave the other members of his family or the home where he grew up. His parents lived not far from where Kagura had lived, along with a little sister he had never gotten the chance to meet. The cheerful blonde lived on his own with a houseful of adopted animals to keep him company. Even so, his happy personality wasn't a front; he had truly come to terms with his life and maintained the belief that when the time was right, he'd be reunited with his family.

Hiro had a similar personality to Arisa, tough and gruff on the outside but with a friendly core, if you managed to find it. Kagura often watched him playing patiently with his little sister, catching the gentle smile he used only when he thought no one could see him. Her time with them left her feeling more at home than she would have thought possible and she hadn't been able to leave their home for her new dwelling without a few tears.

The place that had been readied for her was almost like a loft, a single floor dwelling with few walls dividing it up. It sat over the large meeting hall and had last been occupied, she'd been told, by the schoolteacher before she had married and moved in with her new husband. Since it sat in the middle of the town and everyone had a clear view of the only entrance, it was considered entirely proper for her to live there alone. As closely as she was being watched, it would have been impossible for someone to sneak in or be snuck in without one of her many neighbors noticing. And with the meeting hall itself being locked up at sunset each night, it was also quite safe.

Kagura enjoyed the freedom of living alone, quickly tackling the never-before-tried tasks of cooking and cleaning up after herself. Even when her attempts at dinner turned into unidentifiable charred masses and her hands grew red from scrubbing floors and clothes alike, she still smiled. There was something to be said for the good, soul-filling feeling of having accomplished something with your own two hands. It was much more satisfying, if not easier, than commanding servants to do it for you.

Shigure had indeed brought over several boxes of clothing for her the very day she moved from Hiro's family's home. She'd been a bit worried before she opened them as alterations were quite beyond her meager sewing skills. With a tailor like Ayame in the family, she had never needed to know more than the "delicate lady's art of embroidery", as her etiquette tutor had called it.

She shouldn't have worried. The dresses fit so well she would have sworn they'd been plucked from her own closet had the styles not been much simpler than she'd worn at home. Even the colors were right, the greens and yellows that she had always favored. When she'd commented as much to Shigure a few days later, he had hesitated slightly before brushing it off as coincidence. Kagura got the distinct feeling that he was hiding something. Her biggest fear was that he had bothered someone to have them alter the dresses for her, but he denied it so emphatically that she grudgingly believed him.

The questions about the dresses moved to the back of her mind as she was besieged with visitors of all kinds. Some wanted to know about life in a big city; others had questions about family members left behind. The story of how she had come to be on the ship in the first place quickly made the rounds, getting more than a few laughs as certain parts were embellished with each retelling. One such version had her beating up the entire crew and commandeering the vessel before consenting to return it after a particularly passionate entreaty from Shigure. Knowing where that account came from, everyone that heard it simply shook their heads and rolled their eyes, more than used to Shigure's take on things varying heavily from the reality.

Kyou had also dropped by several times, each visit longer than the one before it. He had been true to his word, bringing her several of Shigure's other books once she finished the first one. He often stayed to talk, mostly about the family in general and the things that they did. There was a clear tone of pride when he spoke of how they had taken to the challenge of supporting themselves, each finding a skill that they could either use to make items for themselves or to trade for the few necessities that they couldn't come up with on their own.

He explained how it had been his own idea to buy a ship, sure that they could get better prices for their goods further from home. Others had filled in the facts that he had blithely forgotten to mention: how he had studied and worked harder than any other person, personally overseeing almost every aspect of the first trip. It was clear to Kagura after just a few days that they were as proud of him as he was of them, only he seemed unable to accept it.

They also discussed what was likely to happen on her return to the family she'd left behind. She told him that she was sure Yuki would be fair and that anyone who had been a part of keeping him from meeting the young head of the family would be dealt with appropriately. The relief on Kyou's face when she assured him that his family would be taken care of was clear enough to tug at her heart.

Only once did their conversation turn more personal, when he had come to visit and a fierce storm kept him from heading off for several hours. Between the flickering flashes of lightening and the deafening booms, Kyou spoke of his mother's death when he was still young and his father's stance that he, being his grandmother's descendant, was to blame for their less than privileged existence. Anger and a long buried sadness lurked in his tone as he spoke of his father leaving the village without warning, abandoning his young son to fend for himself.

She wondered if he knew how his face lit up when he spoke of the man he obviously held above all others. Kazuma had come just when he needed him, taking him in and giving him the confidence in himself that he'd been lacking up until that point. Kyou's respect for him was clear and Kagura found herself wanting to thank the man for undoing as much of the damage Kyou's real father had so carelessly caused that he could. Even if his father's harsh words hid somewhere within Kyou's determination to restore the family, it was the sense of worth instilled by Kazuma that allowed him to work towards that goal without losing sight of himself or the people he was trying to help. Instead of resenting them, Kyou cared for them, actually wanting to make their lives better.

Knowing that he wouldn't believe her even if she spoke them, Kagura kept her observations about Kyou to herself. She was now as anxious as he was to bring about a resolution to the problem caused years before. As he was the champion of his family members, she was ready to be his champion. If there was a single question as to his intentions, she could attest to the sheer strength of character and honor that he showed every day, not just the kindness that he had shown to her. The similarities between him and Yuki didn't escape her and she could only hope that would aid their cause. If anyone deserved to get what they had worked for nearly their entire lives, she thought it was Kyou. Dedication that strong and struggle that willingly accepted on the behalf of others needed to be rewarded.

Her excitement for him and the rest of them was tempered only by one selfish thought. As the three months until her departure dwindled down to two, then one, and then from weeks until days, Kagura was left with an unsettling knowledge. She was going to miss this place she'd lived for such a short time much, much more than the town she'd called home all her life. The person that she had become while living there was so much closer to who she wanted to be than the goodhearted but emotionally unfulfilled woman she had been. There was a part of her that was very afraid that all the changes she had brought about in herself would go away if she left the place where they had occurred.

On the day of her departure, Kagura carefully packed the few things she would be taking with her. Her goodbyes had been said the day before as Kyou's plans had them setting off early. She stood in the middle of the comfortable little flat and took one last look around. It was almost as painful to think about leaving it as it was the people she'd grown so close to.

Just before she was about to give in to the urge to beg them to allow her to stay, a knock came at the door. She quickly gathered herself, rubbing away the telltale tears as she called for the visitor to enter. Hiro, his face still marked with lines from his pillow, popped his head inside. Suppressing a yawn, he moved to grab her bags.

It was time to go.


	16. Kiss 16: The Life For Me Ch 8

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#21 -Violence; Pillage/Plunder; Extortion  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Sixteen: **This kiss is the eighth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Eight  
**_Troubled Waters_

* * *

Yuki signed the last of a thick stack of official letters, smiling with satisfaction as he did so. Kagura's revelation that there were people still operating under some of the family's most foolish traditions had set him immediately into action. With these new orders, things would finally be moving into a new phase that would hopefully prove better for everyone involved. He simply wouldn't stand for anyone to be discriminated or maligned for irrational reasons.

He leaned back in his chair to allow his cramped muscles to relax. The long hours he'd been working were hard but worth the effort. By the time Kagura returned, things would have been set irrevocably in motion to reinstate the disinherited members of the family.

His gaze dropped to a small bundle of letters lying on the corner of the desk. Kagura had taken to sending missives addressed solely to him within the ones for the rest of the family. While they contained some of the same news and descriptions of her day, they were also filled with information on the people she was meeting. She had carefully noted the ones interested in leaving their rural home and the things that they were most accomplished at. With her detailed lists, he had been able to look into jobs for them and was ready to extend the offer the moment they asked.

The letters were wrinkled and slightly smudged, the creases worn thin from numerous readings. He knew the family letters were in much the same condition, having been read and reread by almost every member of the clan over the past months. The arrival of a new correspondence from Kagura had become almost an event. The first one to see it was granted the honor of reading it when the rest of the family gathered in the evening. There was agreement in the group that their cousin seemed to be having a great time and was being well cared for the newly discovered relatives.

What wasn't discussed were the more subtle aspects of her comments. She rarely mentioned her return home and when she did, it was a quick comment that was surrounded by praise for the people and the place where she currently resided. It was clear to most that she would have a difficult time when the ship returned to their port in just a few short days. Yuki wondered if Kagura knew just how much she had let slip through her cheerful ramblings.

He sighed, settling more deeply into the chair. It might be hard for her to readjust to the life she had left behind but there was also a chance that she wouldn't have to. Someone would need to coordinate things on that side once the ball got rolling. If she were interested, Kagura would be the perfect person for the job. She had a mind for business that few saw and her friendly personality and already cultivated place in the community were all pluses in her favor.

Yuki knew that Kagura had loved the past three months both for the town and the people that filled it. But he hadn't gotten to be a successful head of the family by ignoring what was said between the written lines. Her carefully worded statements about a certain captain had caught his attention immediately. They weren't too long or effusive, too glowing or too plain. It was clear she had spent a lot of time deciding on her phrasing, something that Kagura had never done before. She cared about him, but how deep those feelings went was something he'd have to see her in person to figure out.

And even more importantly, he needed to meet this man for himself. Finding out whether or not Kyou returned the feelings of Kagura, who had always been more like a beloved older sister than a cousin to Yuki, was second only to seeing if he was deserving of her affection in the first place. Kagura's comments were all in the man's favor but fondness had a way of blinding one to another's imperfections.

Yes, a meeting with Kyou Sohma was definitely at the top of his list.

**x**

Kyou sat in his cabin, idly rearranging food that he had no desire to eat. He had spent the morning seeing to every detail that he could on deck, checking and double-checking even the smallest of items. The plan had been to keep himself occupied but it had backfired; it was a mere three days into the weeklong journey and he had run out of busywork. The daily maintenance and course issues that would arise would barely take a few hours a day to handle thanks to the fact that his crew, as annoying as they could be, were more than competent with their duties.

He sighed, shoving the plate away across the table. The pure and simple truth was that he was disgusted with himself. The goal that he had set so long ago was coming into reach and instead of being happy, he was feeling, of all things, nervous. It was a disgrace to his pride.

Rising from his chair, Kyou clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. He would much rather be up in the rigging, but they'd hit a heavy cloud of fog earlier that day. Even if it was where he did his best thinking, there was no sense making himself sick. He knew that he needed to get a grip on his thoughts before meeting with Yuki. Even if the situation seemed likely to turn out well, he didn't want to take anything for granted. Getting caught off guard and having something go wrong when they were this close was more than he could stand putting the people who were depending on him through.

Although they had been careful not to say anything to avoid pressuring him, he knew that they had all gotten their hopes up after Kagura's arrival. She had been so kind and open, so certain that her cousin would treat them fairly and help them anyway that they wanted that it was hard not to catch her optimism. Anyone who spoke with her for any amount of time would know instantly that she sincerely wanted the best for them, and not just because they were family or it was the right thing to do. It was clear that she cared for them and equally as obvious that they felt the same way about her.

And that was simply another issue weighing on his mind, Kyou admitted. He'd seen people move into the village, marry and have children without ever really belonging. Momiji's mother had been an excellent example and it had cost the younger boy his family. But Kagura had come and without even trying, found her place as though it had been there waiting for her the whole time. This woman who came from a world of extravagant balls and extensive social customs, this girl who should have stuck out like a sore thumb, had instead become one of them.

Something within that simple realization had stuck in his head and refused to leave him alone. Every time he talked with her it had been there, whispering quietly in the back of his mind, pointing out things he had been trying not to notice. It had drawn his attention to the way her cheeks quickly filled with healthy color and a smile seemed to permanently curve her lips. It pointed out how naturally she had become a part of normal life, her voice and laughter as familiar as that of people he'd known all his life. As the months passed it had become louder and more insistent, quieted only by the fierce reminder that she would be leaving at the end of summer.

Quieted, but not silenced.

He'd already been on deck when Kagura had made her appearance on the day of their departure, a yawning Hiro following with her luggage. He had seen her wistful look back at the dock and village, had watched her square her shoulders and board the ship with what could only be called determined resignation. He had watched and seen and fought the strangest, strongest urge to leap from the boat and take her back to the village where she belonged. The voice had demanded the action, had been so strong as to make him take a step forward before he caught himself. That was the moment that he had acknowledged that he was in dangerous territory and had hurried to remove himself from temptation.

He knew that his cousins and the rest of the crew had noticed and likely questioned his dark-and-growing-darker attitude since they set sail. They knew better than to ask him about it though and Kyou thanked the heavens for such small favors. The last thing that he wanted was to try and explain why he wasn't ecstatic over their change in fortunes and the impending completion of his nearly lifelong goal. That would require saying aloud something he was scarcely able to admit even within the security of his own mind.

He didn't want her to go.

It was nothing personal, Kyou hurried to tell himself, quickening his steps across the cabin until he was almost running. It was just the result of his protective nature, he reasoned. He knew that the others would miss her when she left and he knew that she would miss them as well. It was the knowledge of those feelings that had given rise to the out of place impulses and thoughts, nothing more. He would have felt the exact same thing if it had been any other woman in her place. She had simply become another member of the family that he didn't want to see in distress, no matter how small.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he had come to look forward to their talks together, or asking her opinions on things. There was no connection whatsoever between his hesitancy to see her go and the warm feeling the sight of her face or the sound of her voice gave rise to in his chest. It meant less than nothing that she was first person to whom he had felt free to be completely open with, the only able to pull him from a dark mood with just a look.

Kyou stopped dead in his tracks, closing his eyes and pulling in a deep breath. There came a time when a man just had to stop avoiding the truth and accept it for what it was, no matter how unpleasant it might be. Calling a spade a heart wouldn't make it a heart; all it made was a fool of the speaker. Lying to himself was a child's act and he hadn't been a child for a long time.

It was time to admit that he had …

"Kyou!"

A panting Momiji appeared in the doorway and Kyou felt a rush of gratitude and relief so strong his knees sagged just a bit with its weight. He hadn't put off the admission and so he couldn't be considered a coward; he was doing nothing more than bowing to Fate and seeing to a more pressing matter before delving back into his thoughts. And should this pressing matter take longer than expected to handle, well, tomorrow would be soon enough to revisit this particular train of thought and see it to its end.

The cheerful overtone of his thoughts vanished the moment that Momiji began explaining the reason for his disruption. He only got halfway through before Kyou uttered a curse and pushed his way past him and into the hallway. His long strides and rapid pace carried him onto and across the deck in near record time. Heading to the highest point, he offered an outstretched palm and quickly raised the spyglass that was slapped into it to his eye. It was only as he scanned the line of the horizon, adjusting his examination accordingly to the whispered instructions of the crewmembers at his side that he saw the earlier fog had lifted. When he finally focused on the object in question, Kyou hissed an entire string of oaths under his breath.

Although it was nothing like the black field with white bones most people spoke of, this flag was a harbinger of the same bad news. Any sailor in the part of the sea knew that flag and that it was to be avoided at all costs. Meetings with it rarely ended well and even less often without injury or death.

Kyou had happened to cross paths with these pirates on two separate occasions. The first had been at the very beginning of his stint as captain and was burned into his memory in the way of all humiliating and life changing moments. Quickly finding himself to be outdone in men, weapons, and experience, he had seen no choice but to allow the pirates to board. They'd stripped the hold clean, taking all the pieces that the villagers had worked so hard to amass for sale. Then they'd had the nerve to laugh in his face when he had identified himself as the captain.

He supposed their amusement had been a saving grace, although he certainly hadn't seen it that way at the time. They'd declared him and the rest to be of no threat to them and had left them to limp back home with their wounded pride. The memory of the villagers' faces when they learned of the incident had stuck in Kyou's mind, urging him to make sure such a thing would never happen again.

The second meeting had had a much more satisfactory ending. By that time Momiji had joined the crew and his excellent navigating skills had allowed them to breeze right past, directly under the pirates' nose. Their attempts at chasing had been equally as unsuccessful as the rigorous training Kyou had subjected his entire crew to paid off with quick reflexes and a surety about their jobs that even pressure couldn't affect.

It had been several years since Kyou had caught even the smallest glimpse of the pirates, mostly due to Momiji's constant use of new courses for faster and easier travel. He had heard through the grapevine that they were looking forward to any chance of regaining the upper hand and so had become even more careful over the ensuing years.

Returning the scope, Kyou silently cursed his luck. Of all the possible times to meet the sea bandits again, this was the worst one. Not only were they heavy with the last cargo run of the season, there was also an uninvolved person onboard to worry about. Kagura hadn't had anything to do with either of the first encounters and had been absent from their preparations in handling the situation should it ever arise again. It was all too easy to imagine her coming to harm in the events that were about to transpire.

Shoving the unwelcome images from his mind, Kyou set to work. Their first and best hope was to avoid facing the pirates at all. As they were currently on overlapping paths, that meant an immediate change in course. He turned to yell for Momiji only to find the younger man already at his side, maps clutched in on hand. Nodding his approval, Kyou leaned down to listen to his cousin's suggestions, already knowing they wouldn't be enough. In the back of his mind, he began planning for the encounter that was quickly starting to look like something as inescapable as destiny.

**x**

The first sign that Kagura got that something was odd came when a distant rumbling sound met her ears. Closing the book she'd been trying to read all morning, she cocked her head to the side and listened more closely. The sound was long and steady, muffled by her position below deck but still louder than anything she'd heard during her time on the ship. It was soon joined by the barely audible sound of yelling voices and more heavy thuds.

Wondering what was going on, she scooted off the bed and moved to the doorway. She only made it halfway across the room before the floor tilted beneath her feet. By throwing her arms out in front of herself, she just barely avoided crashing headfirst into the wall. As it was, her palms were stinging as she fought to catch her breath and regain some semblance of calm.

The tinkling sound of breaking glass had her jerking her attention back toward the bunk that she had just been sitting on. The small lantern that had been giving her light enough to read by had fallen to the floor. Shards of it lay scattered in a circle around the now smoldering base as sparks raced along the trail of oil that had spilled in the fall. Even as she watched the flames grew in size, lighting the room with an eerie, dancing glow.

Never one to panic in tricky situations, Kagura was moving even before her mind finished absorbing the details before her. Grabbing the blankets from the bed, she dunked them in her washbasin, getting them as damp as she could in the few inches of water. Whipping around, she dropped to her knees beside the expanding blaze and set about smothering it. It was a tough battle as smoke stung her eyes and wayward flames licked at her hands. Coughs tore from her throat as she fought to breathe, her full attention focused on the task in front of her.

After what seemed like an hour but could have only been minutes, Kagura slumped onto her heels. She was panting for air, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her hands throbbed with every beat of her heart but she had done it. The fire was gone with nothing more than a ring of scorched floor to show where it had been.

Not trusting the smoldering blankets in front of her, she knew she needed more water to make sure they were entirely out. Slowly climbing to her feet, she reached for the washbasin once more. The heap of burnt fabric was hot to the touch but Kagura managed to maneuver it into the basin without adding too many injuries to her hands. It was hard to make out the way to the door with her watering eyes and the smoke-filled room, but she managed it by walking slowly and sweeping her leg out in front of her to make sure her path was free of obstacles.

She walked slowly down the hallway, filling her lungs with the cleaner air as she went. It was only a few steps to the galley, but it took longer than she could ever remember it taking before. As she walked through the open doorway, she called to Ritsu, not wanting to startle him. A frown pulled at her lips when there was no response.

Setting the basin on the long table, she glanced around. Dishes from the barely passed noon meal were still scattered about, the leftovers not yet cleared away. As she continued her survey, Kagura realized that the room was empty and her frown grew. She had never once seen the galley with no one it. Ritsu might not have been the bravest soul she'd ever met but he certainly was hard working. She couldn't imagine what would have had him abandoning his post with chores left to do.

Dipping out a pitcher of water from the barrel in the corner, Kagura thoroughly soaked the tattered remains of her blanket. As much as she wanted to wash the grime from her face and soothe the burns on her hands, she didn't want to waste the time. The memory of the strange noises was fresh in her mind and her healthy curiosity was begging to be assuaged. With one last longing look at the cool store of water, she retraced her steps to the door.

As she walked towards the ladder that led to the deck, an idea struck her. Momiji had told her they had hit a heavy bank of fog and so she should stay below deck until at least afternoon, hence her attempts at reading. Perhaps the fog had turned into a storm and the sound she had heard was thunder. It would also explain the shouting if the weather was unexpected and the men had to hurry to brace for it. While she doubted Ritsu would have been called on to help, she could imagine him exiling himself to keep from getting in the way.

Content at having come to a reasonable explanation, Kagura grasped the bottom rung and began pulling herself upward. With the blisters on her fingers forcing her to carefully position her hands each time, it was slow going. It was almost a full two minutes before she took the final step into the open air.

The first thing that struck her was the brilliant blue of the clear sky. Any fog that might have been had been replaced with sunbeams that danced off the surface of the calm water. Even the sails hung still as not even a hint of breeze stirred the air.

Kagura's curiosity turned to confusion. There was obviously no storm, so what was behind the strange booming noise and all the shouting? She turned to find someone who could answer her questions only to find that answer unfolding before her very eyes.

At one end of the ship, a serious fight was going on. Bodies locked in battle, some standing, others rolling on the ground, covered nearly every inch of the deck. Even from more than a dozen feet away Kagura could hear the sounds of the fight, instinctively cringing at the thuds of fist meeting flesh and the subsequent cries of pain. Past the writhing forms of the brawling men was an even more startling sight. Rising from the ocean was the hulking form of another ship, its position dangerously close to their own. She could barely make out the ropes and planks that surely explained how the other men had gotten onboard and gave a very good idea of why.

Kagura remained frozen in place, her eyes rolling over the scene as her brain struggled to accept what she was seeing. Even as she watched Hiro land a solid punch to the jaw of a man more than twice his size, all that was repeating in her head was a single thought. Pirates; they had been set upon by pirates.

She had of course heard of such things happening, had read about it both in fanciful novels and in the newspapers. One did not grow up in a town so close to the sea or as a member of a family with many shipping interest without learning something on the subject. She knew that their attacks were costly both in goods and in human life. Some of the more malevolent of the breed had been known to strip a ship down to its hull and leave no one alive to identify them.

She was so wrapped in recalling the gory details of an incident she'd read about several months before that she never heard the approaching footsteps. The first sign she had that someone was behind her was when a hand locked around her wrist and yanked her backwards. The powerful jerking motion coupled with her inattention knocked her off balance, sending her slamming into a broad, hard surface. Before she had time to recover, an unpleasantly close voice drawled in her ear.

"And what do we have here?"

Quite against her will, Kagura was turned in a circle, the grip on her wrist transferring itself to her waist mid-gesture. Her chin was roughly pinched between two fingers and wrenched upward so hard her teeth clicked together. She found herself starring into the face of a man who looked to be several decades older than her. His eyes were a shade of brown that should have been warm and comforting but instead seemed cold and hard. A scar started thickly on his left cheek before thinning as it swooped up and over the bridge of his almost stubby nose. The thick brownish red beard that bushed out from his chin failed to completely hide the thick line of freckles marching across his cheeks.

Kagura swallowed as a humorless grin split the large mass of hair. "Have you taken to keeping a maid onboard since the last time we met? Or have you just realized that a woman is a perfect addition to this whimperin' group of children you call a crew, _Captain_?"

The disdainful comment was directed over her head and Kagura twisted around to see Kyou standing just a few feet away. His hands were clenched at his sides and the expression on his face that she had never seen before. Unlike the anger he directed towards his cousins, this was much stronger, much more dangerous. She could almost envision flames crackling around him as he glared and tensed.

"Let her go."

A short laugh rumbled against her back at the same time as the viselike arm around her waist tightened. "I don't think so."

"She's got nothing to do with this. She'd just a passenger."

"A passenger? Dressed like this?" Kagura could almost feel his eyes sliding over the singed and soot stained dress, her messy hair and red hands. "What are you gettin' so worked up over? I'd say it's pretty obvious she's just a common chit. Unless …maybe there's something else she's been seeing to while she's onboard?"

Apparently the insulting innuendo was just as clear to Kyou as it was to her. With a growling yell, he lurched forward. Kagura felt the pirate move and could only assume he'd given some kind of signal. One of his men who had been idly watching the confrontation suddenly moved forward, catching Kyou before he made it more than a few steps. With the butt of a pistol he pulled from the waistband of his tattered pants, he landed a blow to the back of his unsuspecting victim's head.

Kagura gasped in a mixture of outrage and concern as she watched Kyou fall heavily to the deck. As the man still holding her captive began laughing, the edges of her vision slowly closed in. It seemed as though everything was taking on a reddish sheen, like she was looking through a bottle of crimson tinted liquid. With a cry of fury, she let the darkness take her.

As her consciousness floated, she had time to realize what was happening. This same sort of episode had come over her a few times during her younger years. Something would upset her beyond her ability to take it and then the darkness would come. When it receded, she was left facing a scene that she couldn't believe and yet was told that she had caused. It had always frightened and embarrassed her, this proof of the rough and unladylike part of her. She had worked so hard at containing it and now it was bursting out again in front of the last people she wanted to witness it. A small part of her didn't want the haziness to pass, unwilling to face the humiliation that would surely lay on the other side.

However, it did end, as it always had. When Kagura finally came back to herself, her hands were stinging worse than ever and she was out of breath. A quick glance around showed her to be on the opposite side of the deck from where she had started, on her knees by the main mast. Scattered all around her were groaning bodies, breathing but no longer in any condition to fight. Her worried survey quickly assured herself that they were all unknowns and that she hadn't hurt any of the crewmembers she had come to know and respect.

Equal parts relief, exhaustion, and fear had her burying her face in her hands. She didn't want to face the evidence of what she had done and she wasn't ready to see the reactions to it from the others. Several moments of silence reigned before the whispers started, too quiet for her to make out. They were stopped as shouted orders came, followed by the sounds of the injured men being removed from the ship. Through it all Kagura remained unmoving, her shoulders slumped as she concentrated on nothing but her breathing.

A gentle touch on her shoulder recalled her to the situation. Rounding up every ounce of courage in her, Kagura raised her head. She almost groaned when she saw all of the cousins, minus Ritsu and Kyou, gathered around her. It took iron control over her nerves to meet their eyes but when she did, she got a shock.

Hiro was looking at her with an expression that could only be described as awe. Momiji was bouncing in place, alternately asking if she was all right and praising her actions. Shigure, a look of exaggerated nervousness on his face, asked, "You do remember that you already forgave me and that we're friends now, right?"

The knot in her stomach uncurled as Kagura realized they weren't disgusted with her. There was no sign that she had offended them or done anything out of the ordinary. Even the other crewmembers were flashing her approving smiles as they walked past, hauling the last of the pirates back to their own ship.

"That was impressive."

Kagura had to tilt her head backwards to meet the gaze of the speaker. Kyou stood silhouetted against the sky, a little pale but apparently none the worse for his injury. His eyes were hooded, his tone bland, leaving her wondering exactly how to take his statement. When he offered his hand, she took it cautiously. It was only when they were standing toe to toe that she finally caught sight of any emotion. Swirling in the depths of his eyes was a mixture of what she could have sworn was admiration and pride. No distaste, no censure.

"Thank you." If the heartfelt sentiment in the simple words seemed a bit much, none of them commented on it. A smile curved her lips as her gaze swept over this group of people that had come to mean so much to her. They might go on about how much she was doing for them but they had already done more for her than they knew.

So much more.

"But what happened to you?" Momiji asked, gesturing to the state of her dress.

Kagura grinned self-consciously. "Just a little mishap with a lantern. But not to worry; I put it out with my blanket and the help of a water barrel."

The blonde-haired boy laughed. "A fire and pirates and it's not even noon. Maybe you've found your true calling in life."

"I don't know about that, but I'd be more than willing to combine my skills should the need arise. If any of you catch yourselves on fire, which we all know is likely to happen sooner or later, I'd be happy to throw you overboard to put you out."

"But that wouldn't work with Kyou," Momiji said, "Since he can't swim. You'd have to think of something else for him."

Kagura turned to stare at Kyou in amazement. "You're the captain of a ship that makes dozens of long, hard voyages and _you can't swim?_" He glowered at her and pointedly looked away to avoid answering. His head snapped back quickly though when she began laughing. What started off as a small giggle grew into a burst of laughter that Kagura couldn't have stopped if she'd tried. Kyou's outraged and mildly offended expression merely added to her amusement. She collapsed weakly against the mast and closed her eyes, still chuckling lightly.

She never would have thought such a man existed as the one that was in front of her. He sailed a ship without knowing how to swim, manned by a crew that drove him crazy, all for the good of people who asked nothing of him. It wasn't easy for him to admit to not knowing something or needing help, but he did take it when he knew he couldn't do something alone. More impressive even than that was his easy acceptance of others and all their faults. He didn't make a big deal out of what they couldn't do, instead taking the time to find out what they were good at.

While hardly the image of a fairytale prince, he certainly had all the qualities of one, the biggest one being that he had no clue how wonderful he was. What good deed had she done in order to be blessed enough to have him as a part of her life? And what transgression had she committed to make their time together come to an end so soon?


	17. Kiss 17: The Life For me Ch 9

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#26 - If Only I Could Make You Mine  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Seventeen: **This kiss is the ninth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Nine  
**Deliberations and Discussions

**x**

Long after the pirates had been left behind them, the encounter remained the center of discussion all over the ship. Kagura's actions had quickly taken on almost legendary proportions as they were related back and forth, even though the whole crew had been there to witness them in the first place. Impressed grins would split their faces if they happened to meet her in the hallways; their pleasant greetings from the beginning of the trip had grown into actual conversations when she made an appearance on deck. It was clear that while they had respected her status before, her unexpected strength had won their admiration for her as a person.

All of these things were clear enough to Kyou to add to the burden at the back of his mind. Yet again, she had made herself a welcome addition to a group that should have caused her to run in the opposite direction. Once again, she had obliterated an obstacle that he had been clinging as a reason to walk away. Once again, she had shown him a side that further reinforced all the feelings he had for her – the admiration, respect, and an affection that went deeper than friendship.

As he sat in his cabin, Kyou found himself delving into the contemplations that had been interrupted by Momiji's urgent warning. He liked Kagura; she was easy to talk to and often thought in the same way as he did. She had a way of helping him to understand his own thoughts and of putting things so that they made sense to him. He was proud of the way she had accepted the situation that had been thrust upon her by his cousins, going so far as to willingly involve herself further for the benefit of people she hadn't even known at the time.

He'd been happy to see how well she got along with his family. He had expected that to be the case because she was the one holding a better future in her hands, and it was. But he'd also been glad for her sake that she hadn't had to spend three months among people she didn't get along with. And as time went on, he'd found himself thinking of her as a part of that family and not just a guest of it.

If it had stopped there, with her place being like that of any of his cousins, things would have been fine. He would have been able to see her back to her home easily enough since he knew it was somewhere she would be safe and happy. But she wasn't just another cousin. None of his cousins had ever made him want to share his thoughts about everything with them. None of them had ever made him feel better just by catching a glimpse of them across a crowded room. None of them had ever made him think of his life as missing something only they could bring to it.

He cared about her. She wasn't like a mother or sister to him. She wasn't just a relative or friend. She wasn't just _in_ his life; she was an undeniable part of it, something that if removed, would be missed forever. Maybe it was the connection of two people with like personalities. Or perhaps it was just an unexplainable bond that formed through time spent together and numerous things in common. It might even be love, although he hadn't had enough experience with the emotion to be sure.

Time, the one thing that might make everything clearer to him was also the one thing he didn't have. His responsibilities in the village kept him from being away for too long. Every trip, including the current one, was carefully timed and scheduled. They had no choice but to leave on the preplanned day or miss their last chance to get back home before winter. That deadline was being strained as it was, their encounter with the pirates stretching it still further. The few days they would be in port would be exercise in multi-tasking, with half the crew seeing to the unloading and sale of the cargo while he and the rest met with the other Sohmas. He needed to be able to focus his whole attention on looking out for his family's well-being, not have half his concentration locked on an issue that was an impossibility anyway.

Kagura had grown up in a lifestyle that had given her the best of all things, plenty of money, a fine home, fashionable clothing, and a place in a society that was the envy of others. She had also made a place for herself in the family business, earning it with her intelligence and hard work. She was surrounded by family and friends that she adored in a life that she had built for herself over the years. What right did he have to pull her away from that? Even if she would consider it, he had nothing to offer her that even compared to what she would have to leave behind. Asking her to trade her life for a much cruder one with him was on level with an insult.

Kyou sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. Even though he knew what he couldn't do, it didn't stop his mind from trying to find an answer. A million maybes and what ifs kept swirling through his brain, everything from elaborate schemes to a repeat of the stunt he had condemned Shigure as an idiot for pulling.

The simple truth was that no matter how impossible it would be to accomplish, he wanted more time with Kagura. Time to figure out exactly what his feelings for her were and what she might be feeling for him in return. He hated the thought of letting her leave his life with even the smallest possibility that she might not return to it. Even the plans going on to reunite the two halves of the family weren't enough to calm that worry. He wanted to be able to see and speak with her whenever the desire struck him, which had been increasingly often over the course of her stay. He didn't want to have to wait months until the ship's next docking or whenever she might decide to come for a visit.

Kyou growled to himself, knowing that he wanted too much. He would just have to find a way to get through the next few days and then he would have nearly six months to figure out what to do next. The time apart would surely help clarify his feelings more than extra time with the person who had confused those feelings in the first place. All he needed to do was keep himself from asking the wrong question or saying the wrong thing for a few short days and things would work out. If he decided that the feelings he had for Kagura were the sort that wouldn't go away and that needed action, he'd have six months to plan those actions. When the time came, he could do what he needed to do with the confidence of knowing he wasn't acting rashly. And should those six months apart show him that he was making more of what he felt than was really there, at least he wouldn't have gone and made a fool of himself by jumping the gun.

Kyou closed his eyes and let his head fall against the back of the chair. His reasoning was sound, his entire line of thought rational and clearly logical. Sticking to it would surely bring about the best ending that could be hoped for.

So why didn't he feel any better?

**x**

As Kagura had expected, the ship had no sooner docked than a messenger clad in the uniform of the Sohma family boarded. He quickly handed over one letter to her and another to Kyou before bowing politely, picking up the bag that waited at her side, and making his exit. Not caring what anyone might think of her, Kagura ripped open her note with the enthusiasm of a child tearing into a long awaited and much desired birthday present.

A smile curved her lips as she read Yuki's neat handwriting. As always, he observed all the rules of civility as though he were writing to royalty instead of just a cousin. He welcomed her back home, hoping that her trip had been smooth and safe. Next came the assurances that everyone at home had been doing well with the exception of missing her terribly. There were a few more lines of expected courtesies before he got to what she really wanted to know.

Cutting straight to the point, he explained that he'd thought she would want a bit of time to readjust before facing the family full force. With that in mind, he had set up a "simple family gathering to be held at the main house at dinnertime", somehow managing to infuse the penned sentence with the drollness she could easily imagine. No meeting of any number of their relative could ever be simple and they both knew it. Add to that the fact that it was doubling as a reunion and things were bound to be disorderly at the very least and downright chaotic at the most.

He went on to say that the only way he could get everyone to agree not to mob the dock had been with a sworn promise that not even he would see her before the dinner. For that reason, he had sent a carriage in his stead to take her home. He'd also, he wrote, taken care of their long lost cousins as well, so she wasn't to worry about them. As soon as the others would let them get away after dinner, he wanted to see if she agreed with the preliminary plans that he'd been making. That way they could both be ready to meet with Kyou and his crew the next morning and get the ball rolling.

A warm feeling spread through Kagura's chest as she finished reading the note and returned it to it's envelope. Yuki had always been so good at telling when something was important to her. He'd obviously taken a lot of time over the past months arranging things, thus making sure that they could do all that needed to be done in the limited time before the ship had to make it's departure. While she knew part of it was just an aspect of his thorough nature, she'd also learned that he would go to great lengths to help the people that he cared about. It was a softer side of the respected businessman that few had the chance to witness.

Looking up, Kagura found Kyou standing a few feet away, his own letter read and now dangling loosely from his hand. He was looking at the dock and following his gaze, Kagura saw the carriage that Yuki had mentioned, the messenger waiting beside it and her bag apparently stowed inside. She turned back to Kyou, catching him watching her with an odd look on his face before his expression smoothed and he finally broke the silence.

"I guess you're off then."

Kagura nodded. "Yes. If I don't go soon I've no doubt that my cousins will start pouring down here to collect me." She smiled tentatively, a gesture that he didn't return. "Since they share a lot of qualities with your cousins, I'm sure you can guess the trouble that that would cause."

Kyou merely nodded, bringing a frown to Kagura's face. Their conversations had always been so easy that this new stiltedness was doubly confusing. She wondered if there was something distracting him, some problem on his mind that he hadn't shared with her. That idea's likelihood increased when she saw his eyes moving over first the people crowding the dock and then his own men as they hurried about their tasks. The few times they landed on her face they quickly bounced away, as though he simply couldn't keep his attention on her.

Feeling a little hurt and not wanting to keep him from his work, she said an uncertain goodbye and then started toward the gangplank. She stopped just long enough to speak with Momiji, Shigure, and Hiro, promising that she'd be the first one they saw when they came to visit the next day. Then she hurried to the carriage, waving over her shoulder but not daring to look back.

As she settled into the soft padded seat, Kagura found her thoughts focusing on Kyou's behavior. He'd seemed cooler than she was used to from the very beginning of the journey. She'd chalked it up to him needing to concentrate on his duties and decided not to bother him if she could help. But as the days passed, he grew more and more quiet when she was around, often leaving quickly whenever she happened to appear in the same area as him. She'd spent numerous hours in her small cabin worrying that she had done something to offend him but for all her memory-searching, she couldn't think of anything that she might have done wrong.

The only possibility in her mind was the fight with the pirates but she ruled that out for several reasons. For starters, Kyou's changed attitude towards her had begun long before that chance encounter. In fact, his helping her to her feet afterward and their short conversation was the closest they'd been since leaving the village. But it was just after that that he seemed to withdraw completely, almost ignoring her existence except for curt nods of recognition when they passed one another.

A heavy sigh fluttered her bangs as she crossed her arms over her chest and slumped further down in her seat. Here she was returning home after months away. She should be happy and excited, not racking her brain over the odd actions of someone she'd only known for a comparatively short time. If he wanted to act differently now than he had been, that was his business. There was no reason for her to be so effected by it when they would be saying goodbye to each other in a short time.

A tight feeling entered her chest at that thought. She'd hoped that being back in the town of her birth would help ease the ache that always came when she thought of leaving the village. All through the voyage she had pushed it to the back of her mind, assuring herself that she would be so glad to be home that she wouldn't be able to spare a thought for that other place.

Even with all of that, she hadn't been able to dredge up a single bit of homesickness. Oh, she'd longed to see her cousins and friends, had momentarily bemoaned the loss of convenience when it came to the things that she wanted. But for each thing that she would be going back to, she would be leaving behind another just as precious. Although their ties weren't as old, the bond she'd felt with her newly discovered relatives had become just as strong.

Sometimes in the darkest part of the night, she would lay awake, feeling the rolling of the ship beneath her. A fit of brutal honesty would overcome her as she examined the truths she normally shied away from. And in those moments she would admit that if she had a choice of where to live and where to visit, it wouldn't be her ancestral home that would win.

That thought was nothing more than an errant daydream, though and she knew it. If she were to abandon what she'd known for so long on the spur of the moment simply because she was happier elsewhere, she would be taking the coward's way out. A return to the place where she had found out so much about herself shouldn't be tainted in any way, as it would be if it was done without planning, permission, and the advice and opinions of those she loved. Maybe she would find a way to go back; it just wasn't likely to happen anytime soon.

The slight jerk of the carriage pulling to a stop roused Kagura from her thoughts, leaving her feeling both sad and grateful. Even inevitable things could bring you down if you bemoaned them. The only thing to do was make the best of the given situation by focusing on the good points, no matter how few or small they might be. Until further notice, she was only going to think of the things she was regaining, not the ones that she'd given up.

It was a resolute woman that stepped from the vehicle and made her way towards her home. If any of her cousins had been there, they would have instantly recognized the determination in her eyes.

Kagura spent the four hours before she was scheduled to meet the others preparing herself. After taking a quick look at the household issues that had arisen during her absence, or rather accounts of such issues that Yuki had already dealt with, she retired to her room. A steaming bath awaited her and she gladly stepped into it, breathing in the fragrant scent that wafted from the water. The bath oil had been blended especially for her by a master of the art; the end result was a delicate balance of sharp and sweet.

Nearly an hour passed before she left the bathing room wrapped in a warm robe. With her hair falling in a damp curtain over her shoulders, she stood in front of her closet. Having an exceptionally talented tailor in the family was often a benefit; you were guaranteed a unique and stunning gown, even on short notice. They knew your tastes and there was little chance they would abandon you should a better chance come along. You also got to be the first to try their new creations and it was rarely a challenge to set fittings as it could be done at any one of the many family functions.

As great as all those benefits were, there was a slight downside to them. That downside usually became apparent when you found yourself staring at a closet full of amazing gowns with a limited amount of time to choose from among them. Since it was an informal meeting with her family, there were no social guidelines to follow which left almost every option open. She looked over the elaborate gowns and a slight grimace pulled at her lips. As lovely as they were, she had become used to much less complicated clothing over the past months. She was afraid that putting on one of the dresses before her would make her feel more like someone in a costume than a composed lady.

Kagura's eyes strayed toward the small bag with the outfits that Shigure and Kyou had provided for her which rested by the door. As perfect as they had been in the village, she was sure to be underdressed if she were to wear one of them to dinner. Her family wouldn't say anything of course, but she decided that it would be a mistake for several reasons. As little as she cared about clothes, it would be rude to show up in anything other than one of the gowns Ayame had made for her. If she didn't, he was likely to make a big deal out of it and that was the last thing that she wanted.

There was also the fact that she needed to start distancing herself from her time away. It would be better if she got back into the swing of things here as quickly as possible. Wearing one of her new dresses would just be an attempt to hold on to that time for a little longer and she knew it. If she had any brain at all, she would have them packed away while she was gone and stick firmly to the "out of sight, out of mind" theory.

Resolutely turning back to the wardrobe in front of her, she rummaged through it until she found the simplest dress it contained. The bright yellow bolstered her mood a bit and she determinedly turned her thoughts to how good it would be to see her family again. She knew that they would be full of questions about how her last three months had been spent. It would be best to prepare herself for the friendly interrogation she was sure to have to endure before dinner was over.

Dressing, fixing her hair, and gathering all the things she would need for her later meeting with Yuki took enough time that when she was finished with them, the carriage had already been pulled around to the front of the house. Ready or not, it was time to face her family.

It took less time than Kagura remembered before she was stepping onto the stone walk that led to the massive front doors of the main house. The emptiness of that walk surprised her until she stepped inside and was instantly surrounded with a crowd of people. From where he stood pressed against the wall beside the door, Kagura could easily picture Yuki holding them all back until she made it inside.

It didn't take long for Tohru to approach her, tears on her cheeks and a tremulous smile on her lips. During the course of a tight hug that went on for more than two minutes, Kagura reassured her friend that she was perfectly fine and that no harm had been done because she had taken her place all those months ago. It took several promises to tell the younger girl all about it before Kagura finally managed to regain her freedom.

Dinner was just as rambunctious an event as she had thought it would be. There was barely a moment of silence from the beginning to the end. Kagura got the recitation of her past three months out of the way by the soup course; she spent the rest of the meal listening to seven different versions of what had happened at home during her absence. There were arguments, agreements, jokes, threats, taunts, and more of the things that made their family dinners so interesting. It was during a particularly animated exchange between Yuki and Ayame that she felt for the first time as though she'd never been away.

By the time that dessert was cleared away, Kagura's sides ached from laughing and her head was swimming with everything she'd heard. It was almost a relief when Yuki stood and gave her a look filled with meaning. She nodded slightly to show her understanding and he moved around the table to pull back her chair. As she climbed to her feet, Yuki addressed the rest of the table.

"Now we've got some business to discuss. Since the matter in question only has a small amount of time to be resolved, I'd greatly appreciate it if we could go undisturbed for the rest of the night. I'm sure Kagura will be having breakfast here tomorrow as well, and so any comments can wait until then." He leaned down to give Tohru a chaste kiss on the cheek, causing her to blush. "Haru and Rin will be seeing you home, if that's all right?" He smiled softly as she nodded, slowly moving towards the hall that led to his study. Kagura trailed after him saying her own goodbyes.

As she stepped into the study, she paused for a moment to gaze fondly around the room. She had spent many hours in this place working with Yuki on numerous projects. It was almost as familiar to her as any room in her own home, a place made her instantly comfortable no matter the circumstances that brought her there.

Yuki stopped by his impressive desk just long enough to pick up a stack of papers before moving to one of two matching chairs sitting by a window. Joining him, Kagura waited for him to start, knowing full well that he already had the course of the conversation outlined in his mind. It wasn't that he liked to dominate talks like this; he simply liked things to be accomplished in a quick an orderly fashion. On this occasion, as on many others, Kagura found this trait to her liking. The family dinner had been lovely but now her mind was spinning so much that all she wanted was some time to herself to sort out her thoughts.

"I set the first meeting with Kyou for tomorrow morning at ten. I figured that that would give him enough time to arrange the ship's affairs so that he could bring the people most invested in this discussion." He paused just long enough for Kagura to nod before going on. "From the things that you mentioned in your letters, I took the liberty of lining up a few meetings …"

Their conversation continued along in that vein for more than two hours. As she climbed to her feet, Kagura decided she couldn't have fixed things better had she been there to do it herself. All of the plans that she had regretted not being able to make had been accurately guessed and arranged by Yuki. Aside from a few small details that he couldn't have gotten on his own, he had taken care of everything that she'd wanted for Momiji and the others.

It was only as she had her hand on the doorknob on her way out that he spoke of other matters. Stopping her with a gentle touch to her shoulder, he looked at her for a long moment. His expression was more serious than usual, his eyes almost glowing in the dim room. The self-assured tone of a knowledgeable man was replaced by the much softer voice of a concerned loved one. "Are you okay?"

A quick, glib response rose to her tongue but she found herself unable to speak it. His worried tone broke through the wall she had been holding in place all evening. All the fears and questions she had forced to the back of her mind returned, stinging her eyes and tightening her throat. A deep breath later, she managed a brutally honest response.

"Not really." She managed a wobbly smile. "But I will be."


	18. Kiss 18: The Life For Me Ch 10

**Kiss Kiss  
****By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#9 - Dash  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Eighteen: **This kiss is the tenth and final chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.

**The Life For Me  
****Chapter Ten  
**_How It Had To Be_

* * *

Kagura spent a restless night with her racing thoughts making sleep almost impossible. Dawn was closer than dusk when she finally fell into an exhausted slumber, too tired even to dream.

Hours later she awoke to sunlight streaming through her windows. She yawned, sitting up and sweeping the tangled hair from her face. She was still blinking away the heaviness of sleep when something struck her as odd. Frowning, she looked around the room, finding it almost exactly as she had left it the night before. The yellow dress had been removed from the floor where she had dropped it and her discarded slippers were gone, no doubt neatly tucked away with all their mates. Other than that, everything looked normal, so what was bothering her?

Kagura's eyes drifted to the window where they took in the brilliant sky beyond it before widening in horror. She was out of bed in the next moment, almost tripping over the coverlet that was tangled about her legs. Closer inspection showed that her first observation was correct; the angle of sunlight was that of early afternoon, not morning as she had been expecting. She was beyond late for the meeting with Yuki, Kyou, and the rest.

She had never before dressed as quickly as she did that day. Grabbing the first dress she laid eyes on and shoes that were close enough to matching, she hopped about, pulling them on. She yanked a brush through her hair and headed towards the hall as she started braiding. Calling out to the first servant she came across, she asked to have the carriage brought around as quickly as possible. By the time she had her cloak and had finished the slice of toast someone had passed to her, the vehicle was ready and waiting.

The ride to the office gave her plenty of time to yell at herself for messing up. She should have made sure to let someone know she needed to be up early but she'd been so off balance after Yuki's parting question that she hadn't thought about it. Now she was going to be late, if not miss entirely, a meeting that she was supposed to be at. Aside from letting both sides down as the only real go between, she had also already broken her promise to Momiji.

She shoved the door open the moment that the carriage pulled up in front of the building that had been the Sohma's shipping headquarters for the past several decades. The driver barely had time to turn before she was on the ground and walking as quickly as decorum allowed towards the door. Maintaining her image was something she needed to keep in mind now that she was back in the city, but sometimes exceptions had to be made. She wasn't willing to wait the minutes it would have taken him to climb down and offer his assistance.

Kagura found the large meeting room empty when she came to a panting halt in its doorway. Feeling even worse than she had been, she allowed her shoulders slump as she sighed heavily. She'd been hoping she might at least catch them while they were here in order to apologize for her rudeness. Since going to the docks on her own was out of the question, now she would have to wait until Yuki's schedule would allow him to escort her there.

Even that might not be enough since she knew from the plans she had looked over the night before that the people she wanted to see the most would be spending a lot of time off the ship right up until their departure. She shook her head. It was funny how the things that had made her so happy last night were now a cause for upset.

"Kagura?"

The quiet voice had her head jerking up and her eyes scouring the room. She couldn't suppress the beaming smile that formed as she saw Momiji's tousled curls peaking out of another, smaller room just down the hall. Straightening up, she walked towards him, her happiness growing as she caught sight of Hiro, Ritsu, and Shigure behind him. She reached out, catching Momiji's hand between her own.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't here this morning like I promised I would be; I didn't sleep well and then I woke up late and . . .I'm just …I'm sorry."

Momiji smiled. "Don't worry about it. We thought it might be something like that. Your cousin Yuki said that were up a little late and he didn't think anything else short of an emergency would keep you away."

As he spoke, he had been leading her into the room. Before she knew it, Kagura found herself sitting on the small couch that she herself had picked out several years before. She looked around the room, getting a hesitant wave from Ritsu, an acknowledging nod from Hiro, and a wide grin from Shigure. Relieved that they didn't seem too upset with her, she allowed herself to relax a little. "So how did it go this morning?"

"It was great! Yuki was very nice and he had so much stuff waiting for us. He said that since we were members of the family, if there was anything that we needed, he would make sure that it was taken care of. He also made all these plans." Momiji's face was as bright as the sun as he leaned closer, his voice just above a whisper. "I'm going to see my mom and dad tomorrow and I get to meet my little sister. We've written each other but this is the first time we'll actually be face to face."

Kagura returned his smile, not mentioning that she already knew what he was telling her. She'd thought of the reunion while she was still at the village but had had some qualms. She didn't want to get Momiji's hopes up about regaining his family if it was for the wrong reasons. He'd said that his mother didn't like living in his hometown as an outcast from a "great" family. If it was the name and its power that she didn't like doing without, it was Kagura's opinion that Momiji might be better off without her. However, if there were other reasons, better, more forgivable reasons, then she was all for bringing that family back together if she could.

One of the reports Yuki had shown her the night before had contained the answers to those questions. He had apparently enlisted Tohru's aid and taken her to meet with the woman in question. It was a smart move, Kagura had to admit, for several reasons. Tohru was an earnest, honest person who inspired those same traits in the people that she spoke with. When she was truly moved or invested in what she was saying, it was almost impossible to bring yourself to lie to her. It also gave her the feeling of doing something to help, a feeling that her easily pricked conscience was sure to need even after Kagura's letters home assured them all of her safety and happiness.

A long conversation had brought to light all the deciding factors in the family's move from their home. It wasn't an issue of money or a name but of freedom. Momiji's mother swore that she just didn't like the idea of raising her children in a place that was a constant reminder of what they weren't. She'd seen the attitudes of some of the people who'd lived there all their lives, heard their complaints about what they could have had if they'd stayed. It had been for her children's benefit that she'd pressed to remove them from that atmosphere before it could it affect them. While some families seemed to do well enough, she didn't want to take a risk and had decided that a fresh start would give them all the best odds for a happy life.

The report had noted that she seemed to genuinely miss her son. She'd thought that he would come with them and had been stunned when he chose to stay behind. By then, her opinion had already become common knowledge, with some people making her feel less than welcome about staying. She'd felt like she had no choice but to go, even though doing so broke her heart. Momiji had sent occasional letters that she still treasured but she felt too much like an unworthy failure as a mother to write him back when her husband and daughter did.

Yuki had ended with the note that Tohru believed her and so did he, and that a meeting would be a good thing for the people on both sides. He'd gotten the parents' end set up and had only been waiting to see if Momiji was game before proceeding. Judging by the humming he was doing under his breath, Kagura had a feeling Momiji was more than happy with the way things were turning out.

Her attention turned to the others in the room to see if they were as pleased with the ideas she'd had for them. Shigure caught her gaze and smiled. "So I hear that you liked my stories? Enough to ask your cousin about talking to a publisher, at that."

"Yes, I did like them. They were a very good way to pass the time. I know a lot of other people who'd love them if they had the chance to read them. I hope you don't think I was too presumptuous, getting Yuki to ask around without your permission."

He waved his hand in dismissal. "No worries. It's long past time for my genius to be spread throughout the land. In fact, I'm working on a new novel as we speak. My female lead actually has a lot in common with you. While I'm in town, why don't we get together and see how much you can _inspire_ me?" He waggled his eyebrows and winked as he made the offer.

Kagura rolled her eyes as she fought the urge to laugh. Not wanting to encourage him into even more rambunctious behavior than he was prone to on his own, she turned toward Hiro. His face was as blank as ever and she knew that if she wanted any information, she'd have to work for it.

"So, I guess Yuki told you about Maurston Academy? It's a great school, one of the best in the country, actually. From what I've heard, they have interesting teachers and a lot of classes to choose from. Anyone who goes there is practically guaranteed a good job once they graduate." Hiro just continued looking at her, his blank gaze making her a bit uncomfortable. Her fear that she might have inadvertently insulted him with the offer made her ramble nervously. "I knew you wouldn't want to leave your mother and sister behind and that's why Yuki had that list of houses close by made. I thought there might be at least one that you'd like. One of my cousins, Kisa, lives near there and I'm sure she wouldn't mind showing you around. But that's only if you want to, of course. No one's going to make you do anything against your will. If you'd rather stay in the village, that would be fine, too."

The slight nod he gave her didn't tell her whether he was interested in the idea or not, but it did alleviate her fears. If she knew one thing about Hiro, it was that he didn't keep his anger inside. The fact that he hadn't exploded with his considerable arsenal of less-then-clean insults meant he wasn't mad. She hoped he would consider the offer; after watching how hard he worked both on the ship and in the village, she knew he could go far if he had the proper training.

That left only Ritsu. She turned to find him in the corner, looking at her with a mix of happiness and hesitancy. "I guess Yuki talked to you, too?" she asked, smiling gently.

Ritsu nodded, a smile appearing on his pale face. He opened his mouth but no sound came out, causing Kagura to laugh softly. Apparently, there was more than one way to silence him after all. She'd spent a lot of time worrying over what would make him happy. He'd seemed content enough with his job but she couldn't help but think that some more confidence would serve him well. From there, it had been a simple jump to think of the most confident person that she knew. If there was anyone in the world who could teach through example on that subject, it was Ayame.

Yuki had mentioned that his older brother was thinking about expanding his shop. He'd been happy with the idea of having a protégé to take under his wing and teach the finer points of the trade. If things worked out the way she was hoping, it might even be possible for Ritsu to head up his own shop back in the village. She'd heard more than one of the women wishing for such a thing and since it was a place and people he knew, Ritsu would have the minimum amount of things to agonize over.

Buoyed by the early signs of success, Kagura smiled at all four Sohma men. "So, do you guys have plans for the rest of the day?"

Momiji shook his head. "Everything is pretty much tomorrow."

"In that case, how about we all spend the day together? We can go sight seeing or shopping, meet some of the other members of the family, and grab some lunch."

Approving sounds met her suggestion and they all got to their feet. It was only as they were stepping into the sunshine that she paused. "Oh, what about Yuki and Kyou? Do you think that we should wait for them and see if they want to come?"

Shigure turned to her, an exaggerated pout on his lips. "Is that your way of saying we're not good enough company? You have to bring in extra help?"

Momiji saved her the trouble of swatting Shigure by doing it himself. "Don't try and make her feel bad and stop wasting time. There are a lot of things I've always wanted to see." He turned back to Kagura, his excitement almost contagious. "Kyou would never let us go out by ourselves when we were in port. Something about getting lost or causing trouble. And anyway, they said they'd probably be gone all day. Kyou's going to show Yuki the ship and then there's paperwork and stuff to handle. All boring stuff, that's why we were waiting for you."

"Oh. Well then, I guess it's just the five of us. We'll just have to make sure we have enough fun to make them both jealous." A wave of her hand had her coachman, still waiting outside, hopping down and opening the door to the carriage. As they all piled inside, she fought down her disappointment at not having a chance to talk with Kyou. They would be in town for a week before leaving; she was sure she would be able to speak with him alone before then.

As it has a way of doing, life thwarted her plans almost from the moment that they were made. When she returned home from an entertaining afternoon escorting her friends around town, a message was waiting for her. Recognizing her mother's writing, she frowned. The older woman had been on an overseas trip when she left and shouldn't have returned for another few weeks. She'd asked Yuki to make sure no one mentioned her "kidnapping" and ruined her trip; she'd figured she could explain it all when they got together on her mother's return.

Wondering what else could have brought her mother home early, Kagura opened the letter while standing in the foyer. The note was brief, the familiar handwriting wobbly and faint. That more than the mention of an early return due to a "slight cold" had her yelling for someone to pack some clothes and make sure the carriage had fresh horses. In less then ten minutes, she was packed and on the way to her mother's home in the country.

She arrived just after darkness had fallen to find her mother safely ensconced in bed, quite a bit sicker than she had made out. Even though she was in no real danger, Kagura knew she couldn't leave until she was feeling better. She spent the rest of the night changing cold cloths, reading from one of her mother's favorite books, and writing out several letters that would be sent off first thing in the morning.

Caring for her mother left her a lot of time to think. As she sat in the darkened room after the older woman fell asleep, she found her mind turning again and again to the departure of the ship. She'd known that she would feel a sense of loss when it was gone. She'd made too many good friends to lose her last link to them so easily. Even though she knew she'd be seeing them again sometime, it would be at least six months before another voyage there could be managed. She'd only known them for half that long and yet it seemed like an eternity before she'd be able to return.

It was more than just the people that she would be missing; it was the whole lifestyle. There would no more early morning walks where she knew everyone she passed. No more evenings spent sitting on a porch, sipping lemonade and just enjoying the sunset. No more clean air and quiet streets. Instead, she'd spend her time rambling around in a house much too big for one person, having servants do the tasks that she had come to enjoy doing for herself.

Kagura closed her eyes and shook her head. Even now, she found it hard to think of the things she would miss the most without a pain squeezing her chest. No more cooking lessons with Ritsu, no more games with Momiji, no more antics from Shigure. And no more Kyou.

And that, she admitted in a spate of honesty, was the biggest problem of all. During their time together, she had come to see him as more than a friend. He understood what she left unsaid during their conversations and had many of the same ideas that she did. Up until the trip home, they had gotten along so well that it was like they had known each other their whole lives instead of just a few months. More than once she had found herself smiling as she thought of him and the sight of him strolling towards her door had made her heart beat just a little harder.

She'd read enough of the "dreaded" romance novels to know that those were the tried and true signs of a growing affection. She had tried to ignore the unexpected feelings, knowing that her stay in the village was only temporary, her departure inevitable. But even then she had been subconsciously making plans, thinking of ways that she might be able to stay or go back in order to stay near him.

Her family and the obligations she had willingly accepted to them had brought her back with a minimum of fuss but now she was wondering if she'd made the wrong choice. She thought it would all work out better if she took time to give her feelings some space and herself time to work out all the details. Six months was a small amount of time when it was applied to making and preparing for a potentially life-changing decision. She'd worked on much smaller business deals that had taken a lot longer to work out. But looking it in the face, it seemed like an eternity. The growing sense of panic made her wonder if she would be able to handle it.

That thought continued to prey on her mind the whole of her time in the country. Three days later, her mother was well enough to walk short distances and stay awake for most of the day. Never one to sugarcoat the important things, she thanked her daughter for the attention but told her to get back to wherever it was that her mind had really been. Kagura accepted the advice for what it was and wasted no time in packing up and heading back to the city.

The ride back was one that she would remember as a defining moment in her life. Alone with her thoughts, she searched her heart and mind and came to the only decision she knew she could live with. The people who loved her would support her no matter what choice she made and so it really was up to her. And the simple truth was only one thing _would_ make her happy.

Not wanting to waste anytime, she directed the coachman to take her straight to the business office rather than her home. As she'd expected, Yuki was behind his desk, reading over a stack of documents. He looked up when she entered, pushing the papers aside and rising.

If she'd been less determined to say what she had to say before losing her nerve, she might have noticed his lack of surprise at her arrival. As it was, it was all that she could do to pull in a deep breath and blurt out the speech she'd been working on for the final third of the ride.

" I know that we were talking about sending someone to act as liaison next spring to give us time to get everything in order. I also know that you know me well enough to have guessed that I wanted to be the one to go. I was happy there, happier than I've been here, even though I didn't realize that I was unhappy until I left. I thought that staying now would give me time to make sure everything that needed to be was in order and to say my goodbyes. But the closer it gets to time for them to leave, the more feel like I need to go with them. I know that it's inconvenient and I'm a horrible person for running out on you with no notice, but I promise that I'll find a way to make it up to. I just …I have to do this and I really hope that you and everyone else will understand."

Finished and out of breath, she waited for Yuki's reaction. She'd braced herself for everything from anger to stunned disbelief but the actual reality threw her for a loop. He merely smiled serenely and leaned against his desk. Forming a steeple with his fingers, he looked at her calmly. "You're right; I do know you. I knew from the first of your letters home that you'd found something there that you've been missing here. I also knew that if it weren't for helping those people, you probably wouldn't have come back at all, except for visits. I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that no one would force you stay here when it's clear to us all that you want to be there."

He reached into a drawer and pulled out a thick packet. "This should be everything you need to get ready for next spring. We'd better get regular letters from you until then, do you hear me?" Kagura nodded, smiling even as tears coursed down her cheeks. Skirting the desk, she ignored the offered envelope and wrapped her arms around her almost-brother. He returned the gesture, a bit stiff, but lovingly all the same. His breath fluttered her hair as he spoke softly into her ear without letting go.

"As for your captain, he's a little annoying, but a good man, I think. You could do worse, anyway. If my opinion counts for anything, I think he cares about you too but he's afraid to ask you give up your life here. At least that's what I got from his twelve mentions of you followed by how happy you must be living close to this or that. It won't be easy but if anyone can bring him around to the right way of thinking, it'd be you."

After they reluctantly pulled apart, he motioned toward the small table beside the door. She turned and saw a very familiar bag resting there. When she looked at him in question, he explained.

"I got a message this morning that because of a change in the weather, our new family members will be heading back earlier than planned. They're leaving this afternoon. I wasn't sure if you'd be back by then or not, but I took the liberty of having Tohru pack your things for you. She says she'll forgive you for missing our wedding so long as we're invited to yours."

Sobbing aloud now, Kagura hugged him again before taking the papers and grabbing her bag. "You'd better hurry," Yuki warned. "From what the note said, they could be leaving any time now. Good luck … with everything."

With a nod of understanding, she hurried from his office, oblivious to the startled looks she gained as she ran pell-mell down the hallway. More than one person flattened themselves again the wall to escape her path as she rushed towards them. She stumbled on the doorstep, squinting against the sunlight as she looked for her coach. She found it just down the street, the coachman listing noticeably as he caught a quick nap while he waited for her return.

Her poor carriage had covered more ground in the past week than it had in the previous six months. She hoped it would make it through one more run without letting her down. Yanking open the door so fiercely that the slumbering driver started awake, she hurriedly gave him directions and climbed inside. He apparently took her words about urgency to heart since the vehicle lurched into motion before she was even fully settled.

By the time she made it to the docks, Kagura was almost biting her nails in her fear that they would have left before she got there. When the carriage gave a sudden jerk and shuddered to a stop long before they could have reached the ship, she was on her feet in an instant. Pushing her head through the open window, she immediately saw the problem. Several broken crates littered the road, their contents and the people moving to retrieve them effectively blocking the way.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her bag from the floor and disembarked. She called out to the driver as she ran past, barely noticing the shock on his face as she informed him that she'd be going on by herself. With no thoughts of dignity or decorum, she hiked up her skirts and took off as quickly as her legs could carry her. Her breath tore from her throat; her vision was nothing more than the strip of dock before her, leading to her goal. A pain soon grew in her side and her heartbeat thundered in her ears but she didn't dare slow. She knew that she didn't have a moment to spare.

Kagura slowed only when she made it to her destination. A tired smile curved her lips as she saw the familiar ship waiting just where she had left it, busy crewmembers still visible on her deck.

Her legs were trembling as she walked up the plank, her strength fading now that her fear-born adrenaline rush had ended. A few of the men stopped to look at her in question but they quickly returned to their tasks once they recognized her. They probably thought she was there on a last minute mission for Yuki or something.

Appreciating their indifference for the moment, Kagura took some time to try to catch her breath. The running and sudden stopping had left her with an aching chest and a feeling of lightheadedness. As uncertain as she already was about the kind of reception she'd get, she wanted to feel a bit more in control of herself before facing it. Whatever reaction she got, she wanted to be able to accept it with a modicum of dignity.

She was still forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths when Momiji appeared in the passage that led below deck. His face brightened when he saw her and he quickly crossed to her side with a smile. She saw his gaze drop to the bag she held clutched in her hand and her cheeks flooded with color.

When he reached her side, she opened her mouth to try to explain. To her dismay, the combination of nerves and breathlessness made her unable to produce the words she needed. She could feel her cheeks growing even hotter but Momiji seemed to understand, taking her bag in one hand and catching her hand in his other. As he walked her towards the doorway he had just exited, he began a stream of chattering conversation, pointing out people and explaining what they were doing.

He lead her right into Kyou's cabin, directing her to one of the overstuffed chairs and dropping her bag beside it. When she made a sound of distress, he smiled reassuringly. "Kyou's not here right now since Shigure's late in coming back. You should just stay here and rest until he gets back. You look all worn out. Should I ask Ritsu to bring you something to drink?"

Kagura nodded and he left, giving her a final wave from the doorway. She sank into the chair, allowing her overworked muscles to relax. She had to hope that Momiji's reaction was a good sign. Aside from his initial surprise, he seemed completely okay with her presence. Maybe the same would be true for everyone else, as well. After all, they'd all gotten along well enough before. Why should things be any different now?

Except Kyou had acted differently, both on their way from the village and at the port. Yuki's suspicions aside, there was a chance he wouldn't be happy to see her. He might even force her off the ship before he left.

The determination that had often served her well in troubling times rose within Kagura. Just let him try to kick her off. She had a vested interest in the happiness of the people she had lived amongst for those three months. Yuki had been right when he said she could do a much better job at ensuring that happiness if she were close to them. Kyou had spent years doing the same thing; surely the logic of her position would be clear to him.

And if it wasn't, that was just too bad. Let him try and stop her. She had finally admitted her feelings and there was no way in heaven that she was passing up the chance to see if there was any substance to them. She loved him and there was nothing she wouldn't do to make him realize that. Braving his anger to be close to him was a compromise she was willing to make.

**X**

Kyou stormed back towards the ship, an unruffled Shigure firmly in tow. There they'd been, just minutes from setting off, and the idiot had been nowhere to be seen. Interrogation of the crew had turned up the fact that he'd mentioned visiting a friend in the business district. Angry enough to spit, Kyou had set off to track him down.

Twenty minutes of searching and asking questions had finally led him to a small café. He'd barely stepped inside the door before he heard a loud burst of laughter that he would have recognized anywhere. His gaze had zeroed in on a table in the corner where his missing cousin sat, happily chatting away with another man.

Ignoring the looks thrown his way, Kyou had stormed across the room. He'd glared down at Shigure with his arms crossed over his chest and waited to see what excuse the older man would offer for his actions. Instead, apparently not knowing just how close he was to a near death experience, he had merely looked at his companion and arched an eyebrow.

"Do you think it's been long enough?"

The other man had laid his fingers against his chin and tilted his head, his long, silvery hair sliding across his shoulders. After a moment's contemplation, he had nodded decisively. "Should be. Once she makes up her mind, she moves fairly quickly."

Shigure had nodded sagely, apparently knowing what the other man was talking about. Picking up his cup, he'd drained its contents before sliding his chair back.

"Oh, you never said how she liked the package!"

Shigure had grinned, stopping mid-rise. "Like you need to ask. Anything your nimble fingers work on is inevitably a masterpiece. Have you started the new project yet?"

"Umm-hmm. It'll be finished in plenty of time. Make sure she doesn't use any others, now."

"You have my word of honor." He'd consulted his watch and then sighed theatrically. "I guess I have to be going now. It was so nice seeing you again. Now that things have changed, we'll have to do this more often."

Kyou, his temper having grown hotter with every moment of being ignored, was all but seething as he followed the older man out the door. It was only when they were on the sidewalk that Shigure saw fit to acknowledge his presence. Looking at Kyou's rapidly reddening face, he acted surprised. "If you wanted to be introduced, all you had to do was ask. That was a dear friend of mine. He's heard all about you; I'm sure he would have loved to meet you. We met a few years ago on one our trips here and now we get together every time I'm in town."

Not trusting himself to say more while they were surrounded by potential witness, Kyou hissed through clenched teeth. "Just …start…walking." The rest of the trip back to the docks was silent except for Shigure's cheerful humming. Kyou was wrapped in his own thoughts, barely noticing the people and buildings that they passed.

It wasn't that Shigure's detour was all that unexpected; the man had never been on time for any of their departures. It was just the breaking point of an already bad day, a bad day that was all the worse for it's lack of reason. The change in the weather was no big deal; they were only leaving one day early and all their business had already been wrapped up. Everyone had gotten what they wanted and things were looking up for the whole village. There would be no more unnecessary suffering or going without needed supplies.

Still, he didn't feel happy. He'd thought that finally achieving his goal would make him feel satisfied and it did, to a point. But there was something missing that kept him from being content. The person who had helped bring about their change of fortune had been noticeably absent since the day of their docking. Momiji and the others had seen her once after that while he'd been touring the ship with Yuki. After that, someone had mentioned in passing that she had gone to stay with her sick mother. Although he had listened closely, no word of when she might return had come to his ears.

At first he'd told himself that he just wanted the chance to thank her for all that she had done. But as the days passed and he felt more on edge due to her continued absence, he finally had to be honest; he wanted her to go back with him. It was unfair of him to want to take her away from the things she knew and loved but he couldn't help it. She had made his life so much better by being a part of it that the thought of leaving her behind tore at him. He'd always lived under the pressure of trying to be something different to all the people he knew. It wasn't until she came and saw him just as himself that he learned what it felt like to be free. She made the weight on his shoulders disappear just by smiling at him.

Shigure calling out to someone pulled Kyou from his thoughts and he saw that they'd reached the ship without him even realizing it. As he headed up the plank and onto the deck, he couldn't stop himself from scanning the crowd milling around on the dock. He knew that Kagura was most likely still with her mother but that didn't keep a corner of his heart from hoping she might somehow appear. Even if it was just to say goodbye, he needed to see her one more time.

Although he'd known she wasn't going to be there, his disappointment was sharp enough to make his mood darken further. He stormed across the deck, glaring at anyone who so much as looked his way. Momiji approached with an open mouth but Kyou ignored him, stepping into the dim hallway. He strode down the hall to his cabin, pulling the door closed behind him.

With his back pressed against wood, he shook his head and sighed. He needed to get a hold of himself and soon. It wasn't fair to anyone for him to go around snapping at them over something that didn't even concern them. The crew knew their jobs well enough to manage to set off without him. Maybe it would just be best if he took the rest of the night to get his head straightened out.

Kyou pushed away from the door and then stopped in his tracks. He blinked, wondering if he was seeing things because there, in one of his chairs, sat the very focus of his thoughts. Kagura was slumped slightly to the side, her eyes closed and her breathing slow and deep.

He took a step forward and then paused, almost afraid she would vanish if he got too close. His mind worked, trying to figure out why she was there and what it meant. Had she come to say goodbye or with a last minute message? If so, he knew he needed to wake her so she could disembark before they set off. As he approached with intent of waking her, his eyes landed on the bag resting by her feet. His heart leapt as the meaning of that ordinary item sank into his mind.

_She was coming home._

It might not be as simple as that, the rational part of his mind insisted, but he ignored it. Whatever else needed to be decided could be dealt with later. She was here now and he wasn't about to let that fact go to waste. Walking to her side, he looked down at her sleeping face for a long moment before bending. Carefully lifting her into his arms, Kyou slowly took her seat and settled her on his lap. He rested his head against her hair, closing his eyes and sighing with contentment. As though she knew he was there, Kagura made a soft sound and snuggled closer against his chest. And as she slept, a smile curved her lips.

**X**

The next year brought with it the biggest celebration that the small village had ever seen. A ship arrived with an entire passenger list of Sohmas. Every spare room was soon filled as the family reunited itself in person. The mood was joyful as distant relatives were sought out and new friendships were formed.

The main event happened a week later in the town hall. Guests filled the seats and crowded the aisle as a smiling Yuki walked a radiant Kagura down the aisle. Tohru waved from her seat near the front, her free hand resting lightly on her rounded stomach. Just behind her sat Kisa with a blushing Hiro at her side, proudly wearing the Maurston Academy uniform. Momiji and his family were next, all wearing matching grins as the bridal procession passed.

Ayame and Shigure sat across the room, crying loudly and waving at the bride. Kagura was willing to forgive their behavior since Ayame had provided her with a beautiful gown on short notice. He'd smiled and changed the subject when she'd asked him how he had finished it so quickly since they'd only settled on a date the month before. Too happy to complain, Kagura had let the omission slide. It wasn't important anyway.

Her gaze moved to the end of the hall where Kyou stood waiting. His eyes were locked on her, warm and full of feeling. As Yuki led her toward him, her heart felt full enough to burst. Not only was he everything she had ever wanted, she knew that he looked at her the same way. It was surely more than any one person deserved to find in their lifetime.

As she finally reached his side, he caught her hands between his own. Not wanting to wait any longer, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Laughter and catcalls filled the room but she didn't mind a bit.

She was finally home.


	19. Kiss 19: Renovation

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#15 –Perfect Blue  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Nineteen**  
_Renovation_

**x**

He wasn't going.

No one could make him if he really didn't want to go. With his years of practice, it would be no problem at all for him to simply disappear without a trace. He could be gone before they even knew something was up. A few weeks of holing up somewhere would force the whole situation to resolve itself without his involvement. It would blow over, he would return, and life would go back to normal. All he had to do was take that first step.

So why hadn't he?

Kyou heaved a sigh and shoved his hands more deeply into the pockets of his coat. He knew the answer to that question. It could be summed up nicely in a single word.

Guilt.

Of course, there was more to it than just guilt. He hadn't gotten through twenty-one years of his life by being shackled into things so easily. Pleading, he could ignore. Bribery meant nothing to him. But there had been tears in her eyes when she asked him. The damn rat had even said please.

So he was going.

He kicked at the sidewalk, still in a state of disbelief at what he had let himself be convinced to do. He was willingly walking towards one of his biggest fears, and all because of a few tears.

Kyou stopped, leaning against a pole as he allowed his thoughts to clear. There was another reason, one that he wouldn't easily admit. Doing this favor was almost his was of giving his blessing.

When the curse had ended, everything had changed. It was like starting over again. All the old traditions and rules could finally be cast aside. The formerly cursed Sohmas had to get used to a life with more freedoms and fewer fears. It was like being a child again, relearning how to deal with the world and all the people it contained.

He had still been getting accustomed to no longer being just the cat when Tohru and Yuki had made their announcement. They were getting married.

He'd been stunned, to say the least. Next came anger and resentment, old friends he knew too well. But seeing them together, so happy and hopeful with the plans they were making for the future, he couldn't bring himself to stand in the way. Of course, that didn't mean he was ready to show unbridled enthusiasm for their wedding, either. So all through the planning and crying (mostly by Ayame and Shigure), he had remained distant.

And now, more than five months later, he was just getting to the point where seeing them together no longer hurt so much. They were both happy, and clearly in love. And then there was the fact that were going to be parents.

It would be the first child born into the family that didn't have the threat of the curse hanging over it. In the face of such wonderful news, Kyou had decided it was time to move on. He had paid them his first visit since the wedding just that morning . . .and was already regretting it.

Digging through his pants pocket, he found the slip of paper Tohru had given him before he left. Written in her neat handwriting was an address, just a few blocks away from where he was currently standing.

Kagura's address.

During their somewhat stilted conversation, Tohru had brought up the news about the baby. While she was excited beyond words at the prospect of being a mother, she was also a bit upset that it was keeping her from fulfilling a promise.

Like almost all the former Juunishi, Kagura had moved away from the family compound and into her own apartment. Apparently Tohru had agreed to spend the weekend helping her paint and decorate, only to find out about the baby not long after. Since she couldn't be around the fumes or do any lifting, she wouldn't be a big help in the process.

Tohru was quick to point out that Kagura had understood immediately, and wasn't at all upset. But she felt awful about breaking her word. Her feelings of guilt were getting her all worked up, which upset Yuki. Faced with the two of them, when Yuki had suggested that Kyou go in Tohru's place, there was no way he could say no. Tohru's happy kiss to his cheek when he agreed had felt more binding than any contract.

So now here he was, standing on the sidewalk, getting more agitated by the minute while he struggled for courage enough to finish the trek to his destination. With more hesitation then he would willingly admit to, Kyou forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and continue down the street.

The building was identical to numerous ones he had passed on the way. It's brick front managed to look both comforting and imposing at the same time, as though welcoming those who belonged and warning away those who didn't. 'And which group do I belong to?' Kyou asked himself, pausing for only a second before climbing the stairs.

He was more than a little unsure of his reception, especially since as far as he knew, Kagura didn't know that he was coming. Their last meetings, few and far between as the family tested their new freedom, had been stilted and on the formal side, giving him no hints as to how she might feel about seeing him now. She might be happy, which could easily result in the bruises to prove it, or she might see his presence as an imposition. Even if it was on the behalf of someone else, he was coming to her home uninvited.

Without giving himself time to think about it, Kyou turned to the electronic panel with its neatly labeled buttons for each apartment. He scanned the names, subconsciously hoping that she hadn't gotten around to changing the listing in the few days since she'd moved in. If he couldn't find the right one, he could hardly be expected to punch them all. He'd just have to call it a day and try some other time. Or not.

A near silent groan left him as he located the proper name midway down the second column. Feeling the chains tighten around him more with each passing second, he reached out. Before he could change his mind, he pressed it before shoving his hands into his pockets.

Several moments passed before he heard the familiar voice. "Yes?"

"It's Kyou. Can I come up?"

**x**

If there was an illustration in the dictionary for the word uncomfortable, it had to be a drawing of Kagura's living room at that moment, Kyou decided. She had let him in after only a few moments of stunned silence, to his immense relief. During those indeterminate moments of quiet, he'd pictured a dozen different reactions she might have to his sudden appearance. None of them quite matched what he'd gotten in the end. With nothing more than a quiet "Okay", she'd buzzed him in. A quick trip up the stairs and a short search for the proper door later, Kagura had let him in. Now they stood on opposite sides of the room, squared off like opposing armies before a battle.

Kyou ran out of things to do after shoving his hands into his pockets and shifting his weight from one foot to the other and then back again. Not sure what to say, he let his eyes roll over the room, focusing on everything except the silent woman a few feet away.

The apartment was obviously in the middle of being redecorated; the little furniture it contained was grouped in the center of the floor and covered so as not to be damaged by the paint. The exposed floor had gotten the same treatment and in one corner sat several cans of paint, rollers, and brushes. None of them had been opened and Kyou guessed that his arrival had come before she could begin.

"So…" Kagura's voice sounded slightly hollow in the empty room. Kyou turned to her almost reluctantly, wishing more than ever that he had just kept going when he'd had the chance. She was probably wishing the same thing, if her uncomfortable expression was any indication. He watched as she nervously tightened her ponytail and then smoothed her hands down her shorts.

Fed up with the silence, he shook his head. "Look, Tohru was feeling guilty about not being able to help you and asked me if I would come. I wasn't doing anything else and so here I am. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get this over with."

Once again, her reaction defied his expectations. Instead of anger at his tone or the over the top gratitude she once would have shown, Kagura merely sighed. "I appreciate the thought but you don't have to be here. It's not that big of a place; I can handle it on my own. Everything I need is already here and I'll probably be done in a couple of days. Just tell Tohru I said thank you for thinking of me but I've got it covered."

She turned to pick up a brush, apparently expecting him to take the out that she was offering. Kyou moved toward the door and then stopped. If he left, he would drive himself crazy wondering why she was suddenly acting so different. It would be better to just ask and get it over with rather than subject himself to this kind of tension each time they happened to meet in the future.

"What's going on with you? Why are you acting so weird?"

Her gaze shot to his face, an offended expression on hers. "What do you mean, weird?"

He growled, pushing a hand through his hair, his eyes on the ground as he sought the words that would explain what he wanted to say without making things worse. "The last couple of times that we've met, you didn't act the way you used to. At first I thought it was because of the end of the curse; everyone was uncomfortable in the beginning, getting used to the new rules. But now they've gotten back to normal and you're still …different."

A moment of silence passed before she sighed again, dropping the brush and facing him fully. "_Everything_ is different now, Kyou. The whole family has changed. I was just thinking that maybe we – _I_ should change, too." Her expression turned almost sad and her voice was soft as she went on. "All these years, I've been forcing myself on you. Even after you told me to let you go, I tried to go back to being friends, at least. With everything's that happened, I think I just grew up. I can't make you feel anything for me that you don't want to and trying just makes you angry." She rolled her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. "Staying out of your way seemed like the only thing to do."

Kyou didn't know what to say. A part of him wanted to jump with joy at the thought of no more random attacks of affection or clingy behavior but another part remembered their friendship when they were young. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of completely cutting someone from his life who had once meant so much to him, especially since there were so few of them in his past.

He looked at Kagura as she fiddled with the paint cans, obviously nervous. While he didn't want the Kagura that had been a nuisance, neither did he want to give up the friend who had made an unbearable time almost pleasant. There had to be some sort of middle ground that could allow them both to be happy.

"Why don't we just start over?" he offered tentatively, the words just coming out. As he spoke them, he realized that they might be just the solution he was looking for. "We're bound to see each other from time to time and ignoring is just as bad as too much attention. Neither of us is who we used to be; who's to say that we can't get along now where we couldn't before?"

The hopeful expression that he was sure she didn't know she was wearing convinced Kyou that for once in his life, he had managed to say the right thing. It was true; they had both changed. The old Kagura never would have voluntarily backed off, just as the old Kyou wouldn't have hesitated to let her. He knew from experience just how loyal of a friend she could be and that was something he could always use. And if it turned out that their time had passed and even friendship was beyond them, he was sure that they could both accept it gracefully. At least they would know and could do away with all the discomfort.

As though someone had hit it was a brick, the tension in the room shattered. Kyou, of his own volition this time, offered to stay and help with her project. Kagura accepted, quickly putting him to work on the spots she couldn't reach. As they worked they talked, Kagura recounting the trouble she'd gone to in order to get exactly what she'd wanted. Kyou laughed as she imitated a clerk who couldn't seem to understand that "Perfect Blue" was the name of the color she was looking for and not just her way of describing it.

When the sun began to set, she offered to take him to dinner to repay his hard work. He agreed and they walked to a small diner a few blocks away that wouldn't care about their paint-flecked state. They parted ways after the meal but not before Kyou promised to return in the morning. The next day was much the same with the exception of ordering in as Kyou talked about moving in with Kazuma and helping out with new students. The friendship of their childhood quickly returned, only this time it was stronger for its maturity and honesty. Without the pressure of living up to expectations or making up for past mistakes, they got along surprisingly well.

A week passed as Kyou stopped by whenever he had free time. He seemed to enjoy the work as much as Kagura did, even going with her as she picked out new furniture for several rooms. A couple of times he offered his opinion on her choices, inciting good-natured arguments that often ended in her taking his advice.

As they stood in the center of the finished living room, Kagura looked everything over with a smile of satisfaction. "Isn't it amazing how a few small changes can make something old seem new and so much better?" she asked.

Kyou's answer came quickly, but his eyes were on her when he spoke. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."


	20. Kiss 20: The Perfect Day

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#14 – Radio Cassette Player  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty**  
_The Perfect Day_

**x**

It was the most stressful wedding that the Sohma family had ever seen. Kagura had been happy to volunteer her help, a decision that she regretted not more than two days after it had been made. As much as she loved weddings and wanted to help her cousin have the perfect day to remember, things had quickly gotten out of hand.

First, there were the issues with the florists. Although the arrangements had been decided on weeks in advance, it didn't take long for doubts to be raised. What if there was a shortage of the chosen blooms? What if the plants, none of which were locally grown, were late or didn't come at all? What if they arrived too early and wilted before the ceremony?

It took nearly an hour but she'd managed to calm everyone down and make them believe her reassures that everything would be fine. The florists were very reliable with a great reputation. Even if they delivered early, the weather was cool enough that it would take all day for the flowers to show any signs of wilting. Since the ceremony was scheduled for 2 o'clock, that wouldn't be an issue. And if they did have a shortage of the proper flowers, slightly more common backups had been chosen and would be delivered instead.

She'd enjoyed ten minutes of peace after that discussion. Then had come questions about the band. What if they couldn't make it, or the singer got sick? Kagura promised a sound system would be ready and waiting, courtesy of Haru. A disc of their songs had already been prepared, checked for errors, and then checked again. Yes, if the power somehow went out, there was yet another backup plan in place. She had spent an hour searching through the attic at her house and unearthed her old battery operated radio-cassette player. She'd then spent another couple of hours making a tape backup of the CD backup.

And yes, she had extra batteries.

It was with little surprise that Kagura found herself woken the day before the wedding by a frantic phone call concerning the caterer. In a voice still husky with sleep, she explained that the orders had all been placed in person, finalized by mail, and confirmed by phone. Since they were so close, all the cooking would be done at the business and then driven to the ceremony by the serving staff. Should they not be able to make it for any reason, a backup had again been pre-booked and sent a copy of an amended menu. In a pinch, they could manage a respectable meal with two hours notice. Failing that, she had the numbers of several well-liked takeout places from around the city on speed dial.

She'd just stepped out of the shower when the phone rang again. Knowing that it would only get worse if she ignored it, Kagura abandoned her fleeting daydream of tossing the offending electronic out the window. Still wrapped in a towel, she had explained calmly that Ayame was making the dress and as eccentric as he was, he had never missed a deadline yet. Tohru was making the cake as her present to the couple and anyone who knew her would know that nothing would stop her from finishing it. By the time she hung up, her hair had dried in a tangled mass of knots. With a resigned sigh, she set about combing it into order.

The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear, the weather warm with no sign of rain or wind. Kagura took this a good omen and set off in a buoyant mood. It didn't take long for things to go south. She'd barely arrived at Shigure's, the location of the impending nuptials, when her phone rang. Laying her dress on Tohru's bed, she answered, expecting the frazzled bride or groom with more what-ifs.

**x**

Kyou wandered through the expansive backyard surrounding Shigure's house, his eyes sweeping every area that he passed. He had accepted this section of the search grid with the thought that it was the least likely place for Kagura to be found. No one had seen her for more than an hour and with the ceremony approaching fast, panic was becoming imminent. Although everyone was sure she was just seeing to last minute details, the couple of honor wouldn't calm down until she was found. Someone had gone to each of the places that she might be and he'd promised to look around the house, just in case.

It was with more than a little surprise that Kyou saw the small figure off to his left. Kagura was sitting against a tree with her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with the audible deep breaths she was pulling in. At the sound of his approaching footsteps, she looked up slowly. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the blank look on her face wasn't it.

Before he could say anything, she raised a hand. As calmly as though she were telling him they were out of salt she said, "I have to warn you that if you're coming to tell me about another problem, I'm going to have to scream."

Kyou stopped, an eyebrow arching in surprised curiosity. "What do you mean, another problem? What happened?"

With the deliberate slowness of someone who's had one too many drinks, Kagura smoothed her skirt, tucking the ends under her folded legs. "Did anyone notice that the power's out yet?'

"Yeah, but that's no big deal. Tohru finished the cake this morning and it's a bright day so I doubt we'll need lights. Haru's stuff is useless now, but that was just a backup. That band they wanted plays acoustic anyway, so it's like a non-issue. If that's all that's bugging you, we need to get back before they all freak out." Without waiting for her, he turned and started back the way he had come.

"The band's not coming."

That stopped Kyou mid-step. Turning back around, he asked "What?"

"The band's not coming because their singer's in the hospital due to smoke inhalation. He's okay but he won't be able to sing."

Morbid curiosity forced him to ask. "What happened?"

"Apparently they were on their way here when they saw a building on fire. They must all be very heroic because they went in to help get the last couple of people out. No one's hurt badly, but the singer …" She gestured vaguely.

"Yeah, yeah, smoke inhalation. Okay, so you don't have a band and no one can dance. Big deal."

"Oh, I have a battery run radio and a tape of all the wedding songs. But no one's going to get to dance because they're going to cancel the wedding when they find out there aren't any flowers."

Kyou frowned, wondering if he'd missed something. "Wait a minute. Why aren't there any flowers?"

Kagura sighed lightly. "A driver was so distracted by all the drama of the burning building that he plowed into a van and sent it right into a utility pole. That's why the power's out, by the way."

"Well that's nice to know, but what does it have to do with the flowers?"

She gave him the look of a teacher chastising a student for talking out of turn. "The van," she said slowly, "belonged to our florist. The driver got away with just a broken arm but the van ended up so close to the blaze that it was hit with the fire hoses. All the flowers are ruined."

Kyou remained silent for a moment before taking a stab at being consolatory. "I'm sure there's some way around all of that and at least nothing else can go wrong."

"That's what I thought," she exclaimed, lifting her shoulders and raising both hands palm up. "But then the phone rang again. It was my back up caterer calling to tell me that they'd been hit with a power outage and would be unable to be of service should the need arise."

"The backup caterer? So then the original caterer is still coming . . ." He trailed off as Kagura shook her head. "What happened to the caterer?"

"We-ell," she drawled, "do you remember the burning building that the band ran into? The one that made the driver hit the florist?"

Kyou groaned. "Don't tell me that was the caterer?"

Kagura smiled beatifically and nodded before focusing her attention on the pattern she was tracing in the dirt. Kyou looked at her closely for the first time. She'd put so much time into something that was now falling apart in her face. He would have expected tears or rage, not this passive acceptance. Despite her warning when he first found her, she seemed to be taking things well. Maybe a little too well. Squatting down beside her, he casually sniffed the air. "Have you been drinking?"

She snorted. "I wish!" As she looked up, he saw that the corners of her lips were twitching. In a voice that grew thicker with each word, she confided, "The caterer was bringing the booze." The final word was barely out before she dissolved into gales of laughter.

Kyou stared down at her, stunned motionless by her sudden outburst. After a few moments, the absurdity of the situation started to sink in. Every big event had a chance of something going wrong. But the odds of not one thing but everything going wrong _and_ being connected were beyond astronomical. It didn't take long for his deeper chuckles to join Kagura's ongoing laughter.

Long moments passed before they gathered themselves and their little corner of the woods fell into silence. Diligently not meeting Kagura's eyes, Kyou cleared his throat and asked what she was going to do. "It's not like you can hide forever. Sooner or later someone is going to figure out where we are."

"I know. I can handle this, honestly I can. I think I just needed to blow off some steam before I went back. You know, admire the fallen dominos before you start setting them back up."

"When Fate decided to screw you over, it just went all out, didn't it? One or two things going wrong is one thing; all of this happening is just weird. " He shook his head in disbelief before glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Is there anything you want me to do?"

She sighed, all her earlier humor vanishing. "Could you round up some volunteers? I need someone to run to the florist and see if they have the backup flowers on hand. Someone else can grab the radio, tape, and extra batteries from the box in Tohru's room. Then the takeout places need to be called so the deliveries can get here on time. That should take care of almost everything, I think." She climbed to her feet, carefully dusting off her skirt and straightening her hair.

Kyou rose as well, shoving his hands in his pockets as they started back toward the house. "What are you going to do?"

"Raid Shigure's liquor stockpile, of course."

**x**

For something that had seemed hopeless a mere hour and a half before, the wedding went surprisingly well. Kagura had to admit that the backup plans she'd thought annoying at the time had become lifesavers, salvaging the day from ruin. The florist had indeed kept the alternative flowers and Yuki had gotten Ayame to pick them up on his way to the house. It had taken seven restaurants to do it, but an acceptable wedding feast had been delivered piping hot and was waiting to be served. Since a good portion of the crowd were non-drinkers or underage, the alcohol she'd "liberated" from Shigure's store had been more than enough.

As she sat and watched Ritsu and Mitsuru exchange their first kiss as husband and wife, Kagura found herself feeling glad that she'd volunteered to help. There was a big sense of accomplishment in managing to pull everything together on time and an even bigger one for having done it without letting the bride and groom drive her crazy. She might have gotten just as frazzled as them the process but she had completed her task nonetheless.

She'd been worried that either or both of them would flip out when they noticed the last minute substitutions but they'd handled it quite well. Once each of them admitted they were fine so long as the other was happy, everyone had relaxed. Watching them dance to the tape she'd made, Kagura found herself hoping her own wedding could be half as good. After all, all anyone could ask for was a love that would see them as making the day perfect even when the caterers' burned down, the band was hospitalized, and the flowers got flooded by the fire department.

Well, maybe not exactly that.


	21. Kiss 21: Unhappy Anniversary

**Kiss Kiss  
By**_ Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing:** Kyou and Kagura Sohma  
**Fandom:** Fruits Basket  
**Theme:** #24 – Good Night  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-One**  
_Unhappy Anniversary_

* * *

The park was deserted, which was only to be expected at that hour of night. Most of its usual visitors were safely tucked into bed, storing up energy for the next day of play. There was solemn, almost eerie air to the area, the darkened equipment seeming to be waiting to be put to use again.

The mood was a perfect compliment to the shadowy figure that was making its way slowly across the grass. The solitary person headed towards one of the many scattered benches and took a seat. A heavy sigh drifted over the night air.

Kagura Sohma sat with her head bowed, allowing the thick silence surrounding her to seep inside. There was a slight chill to the air but she ignored it. She had come to this spot on this night for a reason and a little coldness was the last thing that would make her turn back. With the full strength of her sizable determination behind her, she would accept nothing less of herself than to accomplish her goal.

She raised her head and allowed her eyes to move over the space in front of her. To anyone else, it was just a patch of ground, one small part of a large and spacious recreation area. But to her it was so much more. Here the air had absorbed her laughter; the ground had taken in her tears. It was a living memory, holding her joy and pain, good times and bad.

This was the spot where she had played with Kyou, unknowingly beginning the chain of events that would change the way she lived and loved forever. It was here that she had first been by his side, first called him her friends and vowed to accept him, no matter what her reasons had been. This spot was the site of her life intertwining with his, a bond so complex that she knew she'd never be able to undo it.

She knew that few people would guess how closely she held those memories. Oh, they knew how she felt; she had never made a secret of that. But they would all assume that she had put those emotions aside, her maturity showing her the hopelessness of them. That was exactly what she had wanted them to think. It was an image she had labored to perfect. Better to present them a lie than to live with their well-meaning but intrusive advice if they knew the truth. Better to show them a Kagura who had learned and moved on then the real one who would garner nothing but their pity.

Even she knew how pathetic she was, how weak she was to have stopped herself from moving on. That was why she had lived as though she hadn't; as though she had truly put her past behind her where it belonged and forged forward. She had finished school, gotten a job, and even dated while wearing that carefully crafted mask. It seemed to fool everyone, becoming so second nature to her that her mind sometimes believed it, too.

But her heart . . .her heart always knew the truth, and it was weighted down by all the feelings that she repressed so carefully. It rebelled as only it could, hitting her with memories so powerful that they left her shaking and more often than not in tears. She would wake from dreams so vivid and appealing that she wished she could sleep on forever, never having to wake and leave them behind for the cold and lonely reality of her life.

Such episodes always knocked her off balance, staying with her for long days afterwards. Those were the times when the mask became the hardest to bear, feeling too heavy and confining for her to even breathe.

That was when she had made the deal with herself. She wouldn't try to always hide what she truly felt until it broke free and tore down all she had struggled to build. Instead she would choose a time to acknowledge it all, to take off the mask and breathe freely of the bittersweet truths her heart held. She would embrace her broken heart, hold tightly to the pain of sorrowful partings, and, if only for a few short hours, she would be who she really was.

It had seemed only right that the day she chose was the anniversary of the day Kyou had firmly told her to stop hoping. They had stood at this very spot; it was here that he had willingly embraced her for the last time, offering some comfort as she cried. It was the day that her heart had broken into so many pieces that she was sure it would never be whole again.

That was also when she had begun to build the façade she now wore so well. The few people who knew what had happened had offered their sympathy and understanding . . .at first. But when days turned to weeks and her depression remained all-consuming, they had started to push her towards moving on. They said she'd feel better once she got back into her life, that keeping busy would help to take her mind off it. She had known they were wrong but had given in to their urging anyway. Even if she was suffering, there was no need to worry them. It was her problem and letting it affect other people would only make her feel worse.

So she had stepped back out into the world, carefully shielding her heartache from anyone who might look closely enough to see it. It had been hard at first, but with time and practice, it had gotten easier. After several months, her mask had grown strong enough that she had even managed to face her fellow Juunishi, the ones who knew her best. She had been nervous throughout the visit, afraid that someone would be able to tell that she wasn't nearly as composed as she'd seemed.

Her confidence in her disguise was boosted when no one seemed to see anything wrong. They accepted her assurances and appearance of calm at face value and were content to believe that she'd finally started to move on. She alone knew the truth.

It was almost disturbingly easy to slip into this new way of life, smiling when she felt like crying, laughing when she wanted to scream. Everything reminded her of Kyou and what she had wanted for them but she refused to let it show. Anyone looking at her saw a normal girl, if one a little less prone to laughter than her peers.

Kagura sighed, shifting positions on the bench. It had been five years since then and she knew she had come a long way. She no longer had to pretend to be happy; she actually felt it now. While she still got sad, as was normal, it wasn't the suffocating feeling that it had once been. She had finally managed to move on in all ways . . .except for one. As hard as she tried, as much as she really wanted to, she simply hadn't been able to stop herself from loving Kyou.

And so the day that had been her time to stop pretending became her time to mourn her emotions. Like visiting a lost loved one's grave on the anniversary of their death, she came to this place to visit her lost love. It hadn't been perfect but it had been hers and she missed it. She'd sit on this bench and bring forward all the memories that had stayed quietly in the back of her mind through the year. Sometimes she would smile and sometimes she would cry but that was the point. For this one night, she was allowed to feel everything that she had spent the year denying.

The air seemed to grow slightly colder and Kagura huddled on the bench, wishing she'd thought to bring a sweater. One hand slid into her bag and she pulled out the small thermos she had brought along. The insulating container held only a fraction of the warmth it had had when she left but it was better than nothing. She twisted off the top and poured a small amount of the lukewarm beverage into the lid. Before raising the makeshift cup to her mouth, she tipped it in silent salute to the shadowy memories that were her companions this night.

Slowing sipping her drink, she asked herself, as she always did, what she wanted out of the next year. In the beginning, her answer to herself had always been the same: to have Kyou to love and be loved by him in return. She'd outgrown that answer along with a million hopeless fantasies and wishes. It was much more mature reply that came to mind now, something simple to say but hard to achieve. She wanted to love and be worthy of having that love returned.

Sighing quietly, she tipped her wrist and looked at the glowing hands of her watch. It was just minutes before midnight, the end of her solitary anniversary. When this day faded and the next began, she would pack up her things and head for home, back to the life that was still not quite all that she needed it to be. Another year would pass before this place saw her again, a year where she would continue to celebrate her accomplishments, small as they might be and slow as they might come. And she would go on hoping that just maybe this would be the year that would give her the reason she needed not to come back.

Marked only by the quiet ticking of her watch, time passed and it became another day. Kagura took a moment to appreciate it's passing before gathering her things. Now that her purpose had ended, the coldness of the night seemed to increase and she was eager to start her journey home. Rising to her feet, she took one last look around before gathering her things and setting off.

She was almost at the edge of the park when a hand wrapped around her arm, starling her into crying out. Her thermos slipped from slack fingers, thudding against the ground and rolling to a stop several feet away. She squinted her eyes, desperately trying to make out the stranger's face through the darkness. Kagura heaved a sigh of relief when a familiar voice drifted to her ears.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you heard me calling." Kyou let go of her arm, stuffing his hands into his pockets and stepping back.

"It's not your fault. I was kind of lost in my thoughts," Kagura assured him, bending to retrieve her thermos to buy herself some time. The last person she wanted to run into at that moment was Kyou. Her emotions were still raw, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed. With the wrong words, she could shatter five years of carefully built distance and restraint.

Thermos in hand, she straightened. Silence stretched between them as each waited for the other to say something. It was Kyou who finally took the plunge, asking the most obvious question for the moment. "What are you doing out here so late?"

Kagura shrugged, not trusting herself to give more of an answer. His question could have been meant many different ways, from concern to annoyance or accusation. As off balance as she felt, the odds of her interpreting it correctly were slim. Silence seemed a better option than making a fool of herself or angering him.

It was possible that Kyou saw in her non-answer as many meanings as she had his question because he took a long time in speaking again. When he did, he sounded almost hesitant, as though he were choosing his words carefully. "I called your house earlier and Rin said you were out. She also mentioned that you make a late night trip every year on this day." He paused to clear his throat. "I was thinking about it and remembered that this was around the time that we had that talk that time…" He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair.

Kagura smiled, glad that he couldn't see the action through the darkness. Her earlier uneasiness faded slightly, banished by his show of concern. She understood his reason for coming now; he'd been worried that she was sitting in the dark all despondent over something that had happened years ago. Besides a brief twinge at the knowledge that his guess had once been true, she felt a warmth grow inside. After all that they'd been through, that she'd put him through, really, he still cared enough to come looking for her in the middle of the night when he thought something might be wrong.

Happier than she could ever remember being on that date, Kagura decided that the least she could do was be honest with him. Even if she couldn't tell him the whole truth, she felt like he would understand the part of it she was willing to share. "I was actually thinking about the future, not the past." She started walking and Kyou fell into step at her side. "You know, the things that I want to accomplish, the bad habits I want to leave behind."

"Like your own personal New Years?"

She laughed softly. "I never thought of it like that, but yeah, I guess it is."

"So that explains the yearly date, and the hour, but why here? Why not somewhere else? Don't you have …bad memories, or something?"

"That's why this is the best place of all. I've had good times and bad times here, beginnings and endings, laughter and tears. Every time I come, I'm different than I was before. I can think and say 'Right now isn't as happy as it was then, but it's not as bad as that time, either.' Or 'There's a mistake I've managed not to repeat.' It helps me keep perspective on my life, you know?"

Silence came once more as they both sank into their own thoughts. Kagura walked slowly and Kyou seemed happy to keep pace with her. There was a comfortable sort of connection between them in that moment, a bond of shared events and memories. Even though they weren't talking, Kagura felt closer to him than she had in years.

And that, perhaps, was the biggest piece of proof that she had changed. At one time, the thing she wanted the most was for Kyou to come charging after her, proclaiming his love. She'd have given anything to be swept into his arms and kissed breathless, an event that she would have sworn would make her the happiest person alive. Now she was simply walking by his side, not even close enough for their hands to brush and she was more content than she could remember. He had cared enough about her to come and make sure she was okay. It was something any friend or relative might do but because it came from him, the person she had most wronged in her life, it meant the world.

Who would have thought her unhappy anniversary would turn out to be such a good night?


	22. Kiss 22: Take A Bow

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#7 – Superstar  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Two  
**_Take A Bow _

**_x_**

A brown haired girl stepped to the center of the stage, studying the audience with serious eyes. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, she nodded once and took a deep breath. Raising her arms on either side of her body in a slow, graceful motion that caught the attention of everyone watching her, she began to speak.

"It's with great joy and some nervousness that we welcome you all to our opening night. Everyone has been working hard, no matter what their role or job and I can honestly say we could do no better than what we offer you tonight. We're giving you our best and we hope that you'll enjoy watching the play as much as we're enjoying performing it. Thank you."

Thundering applause filled the room as she left the stage. The curtains were seen to sway as last minute adjustments were made for the first act. As they waited, an orange haired man shifted impatiently in his seat at the rear of the theater. He rolled his head, trying to work out the kink in his neck. In order to make it to the play on time, he'd had to catch a late flight the night before. He'd managed to get some sleep on the plane but was still feeling sore and cranky from jet lag.

"You're not going to be twitching all night, are you?"

Kyou turned to glare at Yuki, who merely looked back with the calm expression he always wore when saying something he knew would make his cousin mad. Kyou had to bite back the challenge that jumped to his lips, the action the result of habit more than actual anger. The curse had ended years before and there was no longer reason to view Yuki as his enemy. It didn't stop them from having a nice spat every so often, though. But they were both adults now and besides that, this was hardly the time or place to get into it.

"Nobody told you to sit next to me. If you've got a problem with it, move." Having given his last word on the subject, Kyou crossed his arms over his chest and slumped a bit in the seat. Just to make sure that Yuki knew he wasn't his boss, he gave a couple of jerky movements, making sure to bang his elbow firmly into the ex-rat's side as he did so. The hissing exhalation of air that may or may not have contained certain words caused him to smile. Satisfied that he would be left alone for at least a while he stilled, finally able to relax in the too small seat.

He went unbothered until the curtain dropped for the final time, inciting the audience into a standing ovation. Kyou stood as well, clapping halfheartedly as he slid past people to get to the aisle. The last thing he wanted to do was stand around making small talk. He'd promised to come and see the play and he'd done that. Now all he wanted was to get home, take a long, hot shower, and crawl into bed.

He made to the hall before his conscience made him stop. As tired as he was, he knew that someone would be looking for him. For her, sleep could wait a few more minutes.

Kyou leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the slow flow of people leaving the auditorium. A few walked past him to doors leading to the parking lot but most stayed as he had, milling around and chatting. Yuki exited about two minutes after he had, Machi at his side. They came down the hall, stopping a few steps from where he stood. Kyou gave a small nod of acknowledgement before looking back at the crowd.

He straightened when the girl who'd made the opening announcement to the audience bounced into view, a smile stretching from ear to ear. Spotting Kyou, she hurried over, beginning to speak before she even made it to his side.

"Did you see everything, Daddy? I know you said you would be able to see fine but you were so far back I kept worrying that you might miss something. I'm so glad you could come!" She grabbed his arm, hugging it tightly. "I think we did really well tonight, didn't you? All that rehearsing was hard but totally worth it now. Have you seen Mom? She was just backstage with me but I lost her when I saw you."

A smile crept onto Kyou's lips as she balanced on her toes, straining to see over the crowd. Since his own height had him standing over most of the people brushing past, he had a clear view of the entire room. Resting a hand on his daughter's shoulder, he gently pressed down. "She's right over there, talking to your teacher," he said, pointing toward the opposite side of the small space. "She'll be here in a minute or two."

She nodded but continued to fidget, thumping her fingers softly against her leg to some unknown beat. Yuki stepped closer, smiling down at her as he offered a distraction. "You did a great job, Kiko. You didn't even seem nervous up there."

"Thanks, Uncle Yuki. It was only four lines but I thought that I might forget them. If that had happened in front of so many people I would have died of humiliation."

"So I take it you're enjoying drama club?"

Kiko nodded so enthusiastically that her hair slipped from behind her ears and into her face. She slid it back into place automatically as she answered. "I love it! At first, I was so nervous about talking in front of a big audience. That's why I had such a small part this time. Now that I know I can do it, I'm thinking about auditioning for the lead in the next one."

Machi spoke for the first time. "That's 'Romeo and Juliet', right? Akira's been talking about it for a while. I think he's planning on going for Romeo."

Yuki laughed, looking at Kyou. "Wouldn't that be nice if they both got the roles? My son and your daughter as Romeo and Juliet; it couldn't be more appropriate."

Kyou smiled sarcastically but chose to direct his reply to his daughter. "I think you'd do great but are you sure you want to go for such a big role so soon? Maybe you should try something just a little smaller for this play and then aim for the lead in the one after it." _Which preferably won't involve kissing the damn rat's kid._

Kiko leveled a look on him that proved she was her mother's daughter. "Daddy, you're so weird sometimes." She turned to Machi. "Do you think that Akira would help me practice? He's gotten the lead every time he's tried for it; he's bound to know some good tricks for remembering lines and getting in character."

"I'm sure he'd love to have someone to talk about acting with. He's always saying his dad and I don't understand what it's like since neither of us were in the drama club."

"But you did dress up as a girl that one time," Kyou reminded Yuki with a smirk. "Or did that little cross dressing incident not count as acting?"

It was Yuki's turn to smile coldly but any reply he might have made was cut off by the appearance of their group's two missing members. "Whew, it's crowded." Kagura elbowed her way through the last bunch of people to join them. "I thought we'd never get over here."

A tall boy was right behind her, his dark hair mussed and his cheeks full of color. "Hey, Mom, Dad. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was talking to some of the guys backstage." He caught sight of Kiko and grinned. "You did great! I told you that you would be fine."

"Thanks!" she said, giving a little bounce Kyou recognized as an abbreviation of her happy dance. Let Momiji baby-sit her one time when she was four and the poor girl was cursed for life.

Kagura smiled and nudged him in the side. "She's been waiting to hear him say that all night," she whispered, laughing under her breath. Kyou fought the urge to groan. The last thing he wanted to do was think of his daughter having a crush on any boy, let alone Yuki's son. Akira's voice pulled him back into the trial at hand.

"Dad, can they join us for dinner? It's tradition."

Kiko looked from one adult's face to the other, as excited as a puppy promised a new toy. "What tradition?"

"After every opening night, Mom and Dad take me to this great restaurant to celebrate. Since this was your first ever opening night, it's only right to make it an extra big celebration." He turned back to his parents. "So can they come?"

Yuki looked at Kagura and raised an eyebrow. "Well, if they don't have other plans, of course they're welcome to join us."

Kyou found himself facing two identical sets of pleading eyes. He knew he was beat but the image of the warm bed waiting for him at home made him take one last stab at an early exit. "It was a long flight and I …" he managed before trailing off, accepting defeat as gracefully as he knew how.

Kagura nodded to the others and they started towards the door, Kiko happily talking with Akira. Kyou remained unmoving until Kagura slid her arm through his and tugged him forward. Resting her head against his shoulder, she spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the crowd still lingering in the hallway.

"Come on now, Kyou. I know you're tired and I promise I'll make this up to you tomorrow. But for now, this is Kiko's night. You can spend a couple hours letting her be the star."

As he followed his wife out to their car, Kyou admitted that that didn't sound like such a bad deal after all.


	23. Kiss 23: I Just Like The Color

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#19 – Red  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Three  
**_ I Just Like The Color _

**x**

Kyou hadn't meant to eavesdrop on Kagura's conversation with Yuki. He hadn't even known she was in the house, to be honest. After spending the afternoon studying, not that he would admit to it if questioned, he'd headed to the kitchen for a snack. It was as he was walking down the hall that a familiar voice caught his attention.

His body's reaction was instantaneous; his muscles tensed and his eyes started looking for the nearest exit before his brain even processed what was going on. There were too many years of having to run for his life for him to recondition himself in the few months of peace he'd known since his talk with Kagura in the park. She hadn't been coming around much and so he still wasn't used to their new non-violent, if slightly stilted relationship.

He was just about to continue on his journey when her voice became loud enough for him to catch a couple of words. Kyou stopped mid-step, his brow furrowed as an odd feeling came over him.

During their years of knowing one another, he had heard a lot of tones from Kagura. There was the little girl sweetness that had changed only slightly as she got older and the demonic shouts that he still heard in his nightmares. When she was talking to Shigure, there was the cheerful, giggly one and the almost shy one when she spoke with someone she didn't know well. That wasn't counting the commanding tone, the apologetic tone, the pleading tone, and the gentle tone that was directed at people she was trying to make feel comfortable.

None of those were in evidence as she spoke with Yuki. There was another quality to her voice, one that Kyou found himself unfamiliar with. Her words were rushed, almost breathless as she hurried to get them out, as though saying them made her uncomfortable.

What could she be asking the damn rat to do that embarrassed her? Did he even want to know?

"I'm so sorry to ask you to do this when even I know it's stupid. It's just …" she paused and Kyou heard her sigh loudly. "It would be so embarrassing if no one came. Everyone else in the class is talking about how their boyfriend is willing to spend this much or that much. I don't care that I don't have anyone but I just know they'll make a big deal out of it."

"Don't worry about it, Kagura. I'd be happy to help."

"Thank you!" There was the sound of footsteps and rustling fabric and Kyou knew Yuki had been caught in one of Kagura's bear hugs. "I'll pay back anything you spend, I promise. We can go to lunch afterwards, my treat."

"That sounds nice. So, where and when is the auction?"

'Auction?' Kyou thought, frowning slightly. He unconsciously leaned closer to wall, straining to hear her reply.

"It's at my school this Sunday, right outside in the courtyard. It's a silent auction, so you won't even have to talk to anyone. Just find the table with my name on it, write a bid, and that's it. It shouldn't be too crowded; the class is small which is most of the reason why we needed to hold a fundraiser in the first place."

"All right. Just in case I can't find a name card, what did you make, so I can find it?"

"Oh, it's just a silly quilt. The theme the teacher gave us was 'red' and I couldn't think of anything else. I asked Ayame for some of his scrap fabric and pieced something together. Since I like to sew, it seemed like a good idea."

Kyou didn't stick around to hear any more, knowing that the conversation was ending and he might be caught listening. The last thing he wanted to do was give anyone the impression that he cared about what Yuki and Kagura had been discussing. It was none of his business and he liked it that way. It's not like he would have wanted her to come to _him_ for help or anything.

He was still in the kitchen when they came in a few minutes later. Kagura offered him a shy nod before turning back to Yuki. Kissing him on the cheek, she thanked him again and then left.

As soon as she was out of sight, Yuki turned to Kyou with a slightly curious look on his face. Kyou glared at him, confused when the action just seemed to amuse the other boy. "What do you want?" he demanded, feeling his frustration grow with each moment that passed. "Do you have something to say?"

"No. Not a thing," Yuki said, heading out of the kitchen, leaving a very confused Kyou standing by the sink.

**x**

Kagura was grinning from ear to ear as she made her way to the small café where she was meeting Yuki. He was already there, seated in a corner away from the heaviest foot traffic. He stood as she approached, smiling when she started talking before even sitting down.

"It was so fantastic! I couldn't believe it when the teacher said my quilt went for the highest price of anything in the class. You didn't have to bid that high but I have to say, I'm kind of glad that you did."

"I'm glad you're so happy, but to be honest, I didn't."

Kagura looked at him blankly, trying to make sense of what he'd said. "What do you mean, you didn't? Did they mess up the amount or something?"

Yuki shook his head. "I don't think so. I wrote down a price as soon as I got there and then I walked around, looking at the other items. I came back just as they were collecting the cards and someone had crossed out my bid and put their own. I didn't see anyone standing around so I couldn't say who did it."

For several long moments, there was silence between them. Then Kagura straightened, drumming her fingers against the tabletop. "I can't think of who else might have done it. You're the only family member I told and I didn't see anyone besides other students and their family and friends there."

"Maybe you have a secret admirer?" Yuki suggested. "Someone too shy to talk to you who thought this would a good way to make a move? You'll go back to school and one day he'll appear, holding the blanket and declaring his love …"

"Yuki!" Kagura exclaimed, laughing as she tossed a napkin at him. "I think you've been spending too much time with Shigure; his perverted-ness is starting to rub off on you. But still, you kept up your part of the bargain, so lunch is on me."

It was just under an hour later when Yuki made his way into Shigure's house. Pausing briefly to respond to Tohru's greeting, he headed to his room to change. At the top of the stairs he stopped, a suspicion that had been growing in the back his mind demanding to be investigated. Walking on silent feet, he moved towards Kyou's door. It was open a small crack and he could clearly hear the sound of someone moving things around inside.

Moving quickly to avoid giving warning, he pulled the door open to reveal a startling scene. Kyou was leaning over a trunk that he had clearly just finished emptying; its contents were piled on the floor by his feet. He'd apparently been making room for the red and white quilt that was dangling from his hand.

Seeing Yuki in the doorway, Kyou flushed and dropped the blanket into the trunk as though it were on fire. Scooping up a handful of clothes from the floor, he threw them on top, as though if he moved fast enough, the quilt's presence might be forgotten. Yuki just watched the cat's irrational actions with a raised eyebrow and a curve to his lips.

Practically hissing with rage, Kyou stomped across the room and pulled the door shut, but not before shouting out a final excuse.

"Stop smiling, you damn rat! It's not what you think. I just like the color, that's all."


	24. Kiss 24: Being There

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#28 **- **Wada Calcium CD3  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Four  
**_Being There_

**x**

When you've lived your whole life with certain structures and boundaries, the sudden removal of them leaves an undeniable void. There's an emptiness that never seems to go away and an uncertainty that creeps into everything connected to those missing rules. The safety and security of knowing where you stand vanishes, leaving you like a person teetering on the edge of a cliff in a strong wind. That's your moment, whether you're ready to face it or not, to choose the path you'll follow from then on. You can spend your time trying to create new rules to recapture that sense of protection or you can embrace the unknown and let yourself fall.

Such was the decision waiting to be made by the Juunishi of the Sohma family. The curse that had plagued them for generations was gone, worn away or broken through unknown means. Whatever had caused this sudden change, they were struggling in their own ways to come to grips with it. Not only were they losing something that had been a major part of themselves, they had also lost the strings that had once bound them together so closely.

There was uncertainty now in even the closest of relationships as each side wondered where this new situation left them standing. Desires that had once been unobtainable were now within reach, causing them to wonder if that was even something worth going after. Was the idea of it being forbidden the real motivation behind wanting it so badly? Was simply being able to acquire it a good enough reason for trying? Were all the problems and sacrifices that achieving it would cause really as worth it as they had seemed when reaching that goal had been impossible?

For a time, each and every one of them pulled inside themselves to ask and answer these questions. As though through subconscious agreement, months passed without any of them making an effort to see one another. Casual meetings were marked by nods of acknowledgement and little more. This time was about them and they all needed to relearn certain things about themselves before they could even think about reinstating relationships with one another.

It was only when the time for the traditional New Years banquet rolled around that their solitary searches faltered. This was the day that had always pulled them together in the past and it didn't seem right to simply ignore it. Although none of them had any intention of reviving all the old customs, there were a few aspects of the gathering that they wanted to preserve. Though it was gone now, they had shared a link that few could imagine, let alone understand. Even if it was just for this one year, they all felt the need to mark the occasion in a way that would lay the old ones to rest.

Kagura watched the day approach with a mixture of strong emotions. She loved her family and was happy at the chance to see them all together again. On the other hand, it had been so long and so many things had changed in their time apart that she felt a little nervous. What if without the curse, they had nothing to hold them together? As much as she had hated being different, the closeness she had shared with the others had always been a plus side. To have solid proof that that bond was gone would be a blow to her still shaky new world.

To help brace herself, she spent a week shopping for just the right dress and shoes. She also took her time to find the exact right style for her hair and makeup. On the day of the big event, she was pleased to see that none of the nerves tightening her stomach were visible for others to see. With a last deep breath and her mother's calming presence at her side, she headed to the banquet.

Although they were using the same building as in previous years, there were few other similarities. Someone had gone to town with the decorations; brightly colored streamers and balloons floated near the ceiling. Since there would be no dance, a dozen small tables had been brought in and set with tablecloths and flowery centerpieces. A longer table was against one wall with hors d'oeuvres already set out. Soft music played in the background, almost blocked out by the buzz of conversation and laughter.

The guest list was the most noticeable difference of the night. Tohru, Kyou, and various other family members that hadn't been allowed in before were already present. Momiji arrived just after she did with his father, mother, and sister by his side. Kagura wasn't sure how he'd managed it but she did know that he was happier than she could ever remember seeing him. He'd always worn a cheerful front but now there was a true and deep joy shining from his eyes. He didn't stop smiling the entire time it took to show his family to their seats and take his place among them.

Hiro and Kisa followed them soon after, their families arriving together. This wasn't surprising as news of their first date a week before had quickly made the rounds. Knowing that Hiro had long been enamored with the older girl, Kagura was happy for him. The budding relationship seemed to be agreeing with Kisa as well. She was almost glowing and much more outgoing than she'd been in the past. Having a guy by your side that you knew would slay any and all demons for you probably had that effect on a girl, Kagura thought with a smile.

Wading through the growing crowd, Kagura found an empty seat and sank into it. Socializing could wait a bit; for the moment, she was content just to watch the others. Seeing her cousins so carefree in this place that had formerly been anything but had settled a lot of the butterflies in her stomach. There was the rest of the night to calm her remaining worries.

No one in the room could have missed Ayame's entrance even if they'd tried. The always boisterous former snake was in rare form with his assistant Mine by his side. Kagura had often wondered if there was more than just a professional connection between the two. She was pretty sure she had her answer in their clasped hands and impromptu dance number as they crossed the room. Yuki watched their approach with an expression of indulgence and a lack of surprise that clearly showed he'd been expecting such behavior and wasn't going to let it bother him. The same couldn't be said for their mother; her face was blank but her tightly pressed lips showed her displeasure at her older son's antics. But the fact that she had come at all was a sign that things in that part of the family had undergone a lot of changes.

Hatori made a much more sedate appearance, remaining almost unnoticed as he headed for Ayame's table. Kagura recognized the woman at his side as Yuki and Kyou's former teacher. She smiled as she remembered the previous week and the conversation she'd overheard. Having just finished her usual check up, he had vanished into his office as she got dressed. It was as she waited for his assistant to fill the prescription of calcium pills Hatori had put her on that she'd caught a few words as he spoke on the phone. It had caught her attention to hear him speak without his usual tone of distanced calm as he tried to convince Mayu to come with him. She was sure the older woman's hesitation in accepting didn't have anything to do with Hatori since most of his side of the call had been assuring her that Shigure would be on his best behavior.

Luckily for him, Shigure seemed to be doing just that. Ever since the Akito revelation had shaken almost everyone, the writer rarely left her side. He seemed to have taken it on himself to be guide to the world she had long been kept from. Kagura wasn't sure if it was her new freedom or his attention or both but Akito was slowly blossoming into an almost pleasant human being. While she wasn't ready to openly embrace the other woman yet, she was willing to give her a chance. Although none of the others affected by the curse had been quite as awful about it as Akito, neither had any of them suffered in quite the way she had. For that reason, Kagura was withholding judgment for the time being. From the cautious glances being thrown the family head's way, she knew she wasn't the only one.

Tohru's happy voice drifted to her ears and she looked up to see the girl throwing her arms around another new arrival. Kagura recognized the tall blonde-haired girl as one of Tohru's friends but couldn't bring her name immediately to mind. A part of the momentary memory blank was due to the sight of Kureno by the girls' side. He'd always been a shadow in her life, both in his obscurity and melancholy. To see him standing tall and proud with a gentle smile on his face was startling. He blushed as the blond girl carefully brushed a lock of hair off his forehead and Kagura knew where to cast credit for the change.

She sighed, a contented smile curving her lips. It seemed like everyone had made the best of the end of the curse. People who had long been alone had now found someone to make them happy, the weight of their secret no longer an issue. If this was a sign of the future of the Sohma family, it looked like things were off to an excellent start.

Kagura's eyes moved to the corner of the room where Kyou stood. He'd been with Yuki and Tohru earlier but the arrival of Yuki's mother and Tohru's friend had left him alone for the moment. Anyone looking at him would see a young man idly scanning the crowd with a slightly bored air. Having watched him for as long as she had, Kagura saw through the front to the nervousness it sought to hide. His shoulders were just a little too stiff, his stance a little wide, as though bracing himself for an attack. She understood; this was the first time he'd been welcomed to this particular place and so it wasn't surprising that he'd be ill at ease.

She debated for a few moments about going to talk to him but decided against it. Her appearance was hardly the thing to make him more comfortable, she admitted ruefully. It was probably best to keep her distance and let him find his own way.

The night passed faster than it ever had. Before too long the food was brought out and everyone found a table. Kagura and her mother wound up with Momiji and his family. While their conversation wasn't nearly as loud as the one coming from the table Ayame, Shigure, Hatori, and their dates sat it, it was pleasant enough. Although no mention was made of exactly how it had come to pass, Momiji's return to his family was clear when Momo introduced him proudly as her brother. The little girl couldn't have looked happier at the notion, an expression mirrored to a slightly smaller degree on her father's face. Her mother seemed at ease with the declaration, if not as openly thrilled by it. Kagura wondered what the story behind it was and made a mental note to ask the cheerful boy about it the next time they happened to meet.

It was drawing close to midnight and before she slipped away from the party that was still going full blast. She stopped long enough to pile a plate with a few specific items before making her way outside. Although night had long since fallen, enough light came through the windows that she could easily make out the path. The cool air was refreshing after the growing warmth inside and she took several slow breaths as she walked. Her steps were slow but confident; she knew exactly where she was going and her destination was sure to remain the same for some time.

She reached the corner of the building and stopped. No sounds beside the muffled gaiety from inside came to her ears but she knew she was no longer alone. Leaning against the wall, she selected a morsel from her plate and popped it into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she waited.

It didn't take long for a scraping sound to come, followed by a thud as a dark shape dropped from the sky to land at her feet. Kagura didn't bother to look, already knowing who it was. She had seen Kyou slip from the party almost twenty minutes earlier and watched carefully for his return. When he didn't come back, she had decided that this was as good a time as any to confront him and the issues that remained between them, on her side, at least. Knowing of his penchant for rooftop lounging when things got uneasy, she had gone to the one place where the slope was low enough to have allowed him to climb up.

She heard Kyou dusting off his pants and hands before turning to face her. Even with the light coming through the windows, she couldn't make out much more than his outline, the black shadow on a slightly lighter darkness. He took up a stance similar to own, blending himself further into the blanketing night, clearly waiting for her to make the first move.

Balancing her plate of snacks on her palm like waitress, she offered it to him. The action was more of a stalling tactic than a courtesy. She needed a moment to tamp down on the happiness that had flared when he had willingly joined her on the ground. It would have been just as easy for him to ignore her or run; the fact that he had done neither was, she hoped, a good sign.

A squeak of annoyance escaped her lips when the entire plate was lifted from her grip. She glared in his general direction, crossing her arms over her chest to further the impact. "You were just supposed to take some, not everything," she chided, although the comment lacked heat due to her good mood.

There was a distinct crunching sound followed by an overdone hum of appreciation. Kagura laughed, enjoying the playfulness of the moment. It had been so long since Kyou had been at ease in her company, not that she could blame him. When it came to him, her past behavior could best be described as heavy handed. If he was willing to accept her being there, she wasn't going to try to force more than he was ready to give. For that reason, she took her time phrasing her next comment.

"You ducked out kind of early. Anything wrong?" she asked, not even attempting to sound casual. He would have seen right through it and she didn't want even the mildest form of game playing to enter the conversation. The end of the curse was like a slate being wiped clean. From this time on, she was going to stop beating herself up over the mistakes she had made years before. It was time to learn from them and move on, hopefully making stronger, healthier connections to those she cared about.

There was a pause in the chewing, followed by a quiet sigh. Kagura waited patiently, wondering if she'd get an answer or an order to mind her own business. Surprisingly, it was the former. "It was weird, being in there."

She nodded, having guessed as much earlier. She kept quiet, giving him time to decide if he wanted to say more or leave it at that.

It was several moments before his voice came again. "It's strange. I know that they don't mind me being there, but it still feels like I, I don't know, snuck in or something. Like at any moment someone's going to come and throw me out, telling me that I don't belong."

Kagura's heart ached for the little boy that hid within the comment. She could only imagine what it had been like for him, kept away from everyone. Suffering the curse had been terrifying but at least she had had the others to lean on, to look at and know that she wasn't alone. Kyou had been kept from even that simple comfort, always apart and alone. Her throat tightened as it always did when she thought about how he had suffered. She had to swallow before she was sure her voice would come out semi-normally.

"It's not that they just don't mind your being there, Kyou. Everyone _wants_ you there. Tonight isn't about the past; it's about the futures we can all have now that the curse isn't holding us back. In fact, I'd say you probably have the most right to be there since you've regained the most."

She felt rather than saw him shake his head. "It still doesn't feel right."

"So you're going to spend the rest of the night out here, alone in the dark? It's a party of people with something celebrate, the same as you. I'd think you could put up with the noise and crowd for a few hours." She started to say they were family but bit it back. Being family had never saved him from them before.

She felt his shoulder brush her own as he shrugged and she huffed in annoyance. If she let him, he was liable to do exactly as she'd said and spend the rest of the party hiding in the shadows and feeling left out. He needed someone to prod him into doing what was best for him, even if he didn't know it. Dusting her hands together, she got right to the point.

"Well, I'm not going to let you skulk in the corner. One of two things is going to happen. This could turn out to be a one-time event, a celebration to mark the end of the curse and nothing more, which means you don't have to worry about it again. Or it could become a new tradition, one that we all decide to honor because we want to, not because we have to. If that's the case, then you'll get used to it in time or else come to the realize that it's one night a year and only a really big baby couldn't deal with that." He snorted and she ignored him. "Either way, you need to go back in. You might regret it someday if you don't."

His "Doubtful," was muttered under his breath but she still heard it, She swatted him with the back of her hand, satisfied when the action elicited a muffled grunt. "If you're not going to come willingly, I'll drag you in. Or better yet, I'll get Shigure and Ayame to come out and keep you company."

"All right; I'll go back in," he agreed irritably, obviously knowing which was the greater threat. "Just not yet."

Thinking that he would want to be alone, she started to move but was stopped by his hand on her wrist. Kyou didn't say anything and after a moment, she settled back into her former place. Maybe he just didn't want to walk back in alone, she thought to herself. If having her there would make him feel better, she was willing to wait for him to gather himself. She let her eyes wander over the darkness, squinting to make out the few landmarks visible by the light of the stars and waning moon.

"Thanks," he said quietly and so unexpectedly that she jumped a bit at the sound of his voice.

"For what?" she asked, a bit confused by his sudden gratitude.

"Just for being here."

As they stood there in the darkness with the faint music from the party drifting to their ears, Kyou leaned close. His lips brushed her cheek, softly, gently, for just the space of a heartbeat. Then the warmth of his body was gone from her shoulder as he retook his place a few inches away. It wasn't the sweet romantic kiss of a fairy tale finale, but who wanted to settle for a happy ending when they could have a happy beginning instead?


	25. Kiss 25: Caged

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#22 - Cradle  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Five** _  
Caged_

**x**

He had once feared being boxed in more than anything. The thought of being shut in a cage and left to rot was enough to send chills up his spine. Images of it haunted his dreams and stayed at the edge of his consciousness even when he was awake. It was the one thing that he would have done anything to avoid and the one certainty of his future.

He couldn't recall exactly when he became aware of his fate as the cat. It was something he'd just always seemed to know, just as he'd known he was an outcast. Even among the ones who were different, he was different. He was reviled and taunted and blamed for things that he couldn't have influenced if he'd tried.

His entire childhood had been spent in a cage, although he hadn't known it at the time. While his mother meant well, she had locked him into a small little world just the same. He was kept from the things other children took for granted, left alone to amuse himself and too wary from her warnings to disobey. The one time that someone had dared to invade his imposed isolation, it had ended badly. Having a friend, even for so short a time, had taught him a lesson. It had been better before, when he hadn't known what he was going without.

The day he'd moved in with Shisho, he'd learned of another sort of cage. He was being offered a home and a family to replace the one that he'd lost. Even though he wanted it with everything in him, he knew better. This was simply a new kind of trap, a new way to lure him into caring about something so it could be taken away from him. He had learned his lesson though; he wouldn't allow himself to care. Although he grew fond of Shisho and appreciated his kindness more than words could say, he forced those feelings down lest they be used against him.

Life at Shigure's had been different. He hadn't wanted to go there, didn't like most of the people he was forced to live with. School was an annoyance he would have avoided if he could. Barely a day went by without something happening to make him angry. For that reason, he was able to relax. He wasn't happy there and so it was safe.

Then he had gotten to know Tohru. She was kind and giving, always wanting the best for the people around her. He'd been suspicious at first, his early lessons still fresh in his mind. Always before kindness had been a mask for scorn and giving had been done only to take away. He wasn't sure that a genuinely kind person could exist, especially in his family. It was the fact that she was as much of an outsider as he was that made him relax his guard and let her in. She calmed him and for the first time, he felt cared for with no strings attached. It scared him to be happy, but he thought he'd finally found something worth the risk.

Then the curse had broken. Everyone was free to pursue the lives of their choosing and no longer worry about the restrictions and destinies forced on them from a time before their birth. Tohru had been there and he'd done it, reached out and grabbed her, embracing her and the happy future she had long represented to him.

But still the dreams came. He'd wake in the middle of the night gasping for breath, his hands clawing at bars that had never existed outside of his mind. The sun would rise with him on the roof watching, his mind struggling to understand what was wrong, what was keeping him from being truly free. He had someone to love who loved him back; why wasn't he happy?

His relationship with Tohru had grown strained. Every time he went to speak, he'd stop, checking and double-checking his words to make sure there was nothing in them that would offend her. Holding on to her was the most important thing, the proof that he had the life he'd been longing for. He swallowed his anger and unhappiness whenever they rose, not wanting to upset her. The more he held back, the more frequently the dreams came, the thicker the bars appeared that locked him in.

Months passed. He barely slept or ate, spending all his time forcing contentment and avoiding the dreams that called him a liar. People began to notice but he brushed them off, complaining of a cold that would pass soon, a small problem that he would work out. They backed off, believing or not caring, leaving him to his misery. Tohru fluttered by his side, a bright spot that dimmed as time went by and he grew more and more detached. She did all that she knew how, giving more of herself and inadvertently making things worse.

It was Kagura who finally reached a breaking point. She showed up at Shigure's house one day. He was there alone, the others having left on various errands. He heard her voice calling his name and had reluctantly left his rooftop to face her. The moment that he was close enough, she slapped him hard across the face. He'd stared at her, stunned into silence and immobility at the surprise attack.

She'd taken the opportunity to let him know what had been on her mind. Her voice was even but firm as she let him have it, telling him how worried everyone had been at his appearance and behavior. Her words were harsh, hitting every sore spot that had been growing inside of him. Soon he was yelling back, telling her to mind her own business and leave him alone. He was an adult and could live his own life. He didn't need anyone telling him what to do, especially not her.

They spent an hour screaming at each other and when it was over, Kyou felt better than he had in months. He turned to Kagura to explain that he hadn't meant what he'd said, that he was just venting his frustration at the first available person who could take it. His apology died on his lips when he saw her smiling at him with relieved eyes. He didn't need to say anything; she already knew.

At his astonished look, she shrugged. "You're not a suffer in silence kind of guy, Kyou. You were made to blow up every now then. Locking stuff away is the one sure way to make it try to get out any way that it can. You of all people should know that."

She'd left without another word, leaving him with her declaration ringing in his head. She was telling him that the cage he'd been seeing was of his own making, that by trying to avoid his issues he'd made them more powerful. It was a painful thought and he tried to brush it off. Kagura was hardly the one to talk to about perfect mental health. She was more messed up than him, what with her mood swings and memory lapses.

She was also absolutely right.

Now here he sat, years later, his hands locked around another set of wooden bars. His fingers knew every inch of their surfaces, having covered them more times than he could count. He could find every rough spot, every curve and nick. The air around him was cool, the ground beneath him even colder. He could feel it seeping through his clothes and into his bones but he didn't move, his mind on things long past and others yet to happen.

It had been hard to admit, even to himself, that he was being unfair to Tohru. Hanging his happiness on the existence of a relationship had added too much pressure on both of them. He needed to be happy with himself before even thinking about trying for a deep connection to someone else. Telling her so had been humiliating and difficult but he'd done it and been glad for it later. Looking through clearer eyes, he'd seen that she needed to work out things for herself as much as she did. If they were meant to be together, the chance would come when they were both ready.

"Kyou? Honey, are you out here?"

The strained voice pulled him from his thoughts and he leapt to his feet. No longer blocked by the boxes piled in front of him, he was able to make out the figure of his wife standing at the door of the garage. One hand was pressed against the wall; the other supported the weight of her generously rounded stomach. It was the whiteness of her face and her harsh breathing that finally sank in. Stepping around the cradle he'd been working on, he raced to her side. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he supported her as he walked with her to the car.

As he settled Kagura into the seat amidst kisses and comforting words, he silently gave thanks once more that his life had worked out the way it had. He had a wife who knew him better than anyone in world, even himself at times. She knew what he thought and how to help him when he was lost. She saw through his fronts and put up with his temper, giving back as good as she got. Her gentleness catered to the lonely little boy inside that he'd never really outgrown and the love she gave him made him want to be a better man to deserve it. He didn't have to be perfect for her; she saw him as he was and it was enough.

Loving her wasn't a cage; it was the truest freedom he'd ever known.


	26. Kiss 26: If I Didn't Know Now

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#4 – Our Distance and That Person  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Six  
**_If I Didn't Know Now _

**x**

She knew about the affair almost from the start, although it was a long time before she allowed herself to admit it. She loved Kyou with all her soul; the thought that he would stray was like a knife to her heart. He had seemed so happy after their marriage, swearing that she was everything that he wanted. She'd catch him watching her at random times during the day, just smiling that soft smile she thought of as her own.

The early days had been almost like a dream, filled with the hazy warmth of love and newness. They had to get used to everything, seeing each other in the morning, brushing their teeth at the same time, deciding which side of the bed to sleep on. Each day brought another first and a renewed sense of two lives joined into one.

It wasn't until almost two years had passed that those feelings started to wear off. A few of the things they had always done together now seemed like too much effort. It was no longer so important to spend every moment together. The endearments and loving words now became habits rather than an overflow of emotion that had to be expressed.

She'd thought nothing of it. All couples went through things like that, it was just part of married life. Things were always more intense in the beginning than they would be for the duration. She knew that she was a more expressive person than him and it wasn't fair to hold him to her standards. She just needed to lower her expectations slightly to be more reasonable and things would work themselves out. They would be happy again.

Only it hadn't turned out that way. The more she gave up holding out for the smaller gestures of affection, the fewer came her way. It began to look as though he had never offered them because of his own feelings but rather to meet what he thought she expected of him. As she stopped prompting him for them, they ceased coming.

Even this she had been able to accept and explain. Kyou had never been a demonstrative kind of person when it came to his softer side. If one looked at his entire life, the span of outgoing affection was the one that was out of place. It had obviously been her own fault for thinking that his accepting her loving him would suddenly change that. She chided herself for her vanity and tried once more not to let it bother her.

By this time, they had been married for six years. They had discussed children several times during that span, always ultimately deciding that it wasn't the right time for one reason or another. At first it had been too soon after the wedding; couples needed time alone before adding another person into the equation. Then they had bought a new house and needed to get it fixed up, a job infinitely easier without an infant on hand. Then work had been taking up too much time as they sought to get onto slighter firmer financial footing. Each a reasonable excuse in their own right and time, putting them all together painted a slightly darker picture.

Just as she was gathering her courage to confront Kyou about their relationship, things changed once again. It was almost as though he knew what she'd been thinking and sought to make up for the slights. The flattering lover from the early days of their marriage returned, his loving looks and gentle actions firmly in tow. He'd stop to get her flowers on the way home from work, presenting them with his crooked smile and a hesitant comment that he'd thought of her when he saw them.

It was completely by chance that she stumbled onto the truth. The phone had rung while she collected the dinner dishes for washing. Kyou had waved her into the kitchen while he answered it. She heard him quietly talking and thought nothing of it, loading the dishwasher with practiced ease. It was only when she'd returned to the dining room to get a platter she had missed that she heard something different in his tone. He sounded …not excited, really, but animated, alive. It was the voice of the man she'd married, one that had been missing for quite some time.

The conversation hadn't lasted long before e hung up and turned around to replace the phone. When he saw her standing there, he had flinched visibly, his expression flickering before settling into one of practiced blankness. He mumbled something about a colleague before turning and leaving the room. His departure came too late, however; she had seen what he had striven to hide. The emotion that he had so quickly stricken from his face had lingered in his eyes for her to see.

Guilt.

She had placed the platter back on the table with forced calm as realizations dawned. There had been no sudden resurgence of his earlier passion. He was obviously doing something that he felt was wrong and his newfound attempts at romance were his way of atoning. She felt stupid and betrayed and more hurt than she could ever remember feeling in her life. A part of her wanted to go to him and get the whole story; another part wanted to forget what she had seen and go on as though nothing had happened.

She'd spent days arguing with herself about it. Knowledge, once gained, cannot be unlearned. She had to be sure she wanted the answers before she started asking questions. If it turned out to be something silly, she would have proven her lack of trust in her husband. He might be keeping something from her but what if that something was completely innocent, like a surprise party? How could she face him knowing that she had doubted him?

In the end, the choice was simple. This was her husband. He loved her enough to marry her and she knew that his honor, if nothing else, would keep him by her side. The Kyou that she knew and loved would never break their vows. Even if he fell in love with someone else, he would tell her and back out of their union before so much as kissing her. Of this, she was sure.

That decided, she continued about her life, not asking but always watching. If he had long conversations behind closed doors from time to time, it was just a phone call. If he sometimes seemed a bit happier on the days when he was a little later coming home, he'd just had a good day. When the flowers were joined by candy and then jewelry, she smiled and thanked him, saving her tears for when he was away.

Days passed and she convinced herself that she was happy. She had wanted Kyou to call her own for so long that she wasn't going to allow a few bumps in the road to ruin it. It might be rough for a while but things would eventually smooth out. Kyou would realize his mistake and come back to her and they'd be a family again.

That dream died in the middle of a crowded sidewalk a few weeks later. She'd spent the day shopping for things around the house and had wound up near Kyou's work. Since it was near noon, she decided to drop in and see if he wanted to have lunch with her. When she found he had already gone out, she was a little disappointed but didn't let it get her down for long. Bags in hand, she wandered down the street, eyeing the restaurants to gauge which one he was most likely to have chosen.

She was just about to give in to her aching feet when she caught sight of his fiery hair and broad shoulders seated at an outside table. He was turning to speak with a waiter and so he hadn't noticed her yet. With a smile curving her lips, she quickened her steps in his direction. She was no more than ten feet away when she saw that he had company at his table. She slowed then, not wanting to intrude, but it was his expression that stopped her in her tracks.

This was the Kyou of the late nights and phone calls, the one that she was no longer enough to bring out. Her heart pounded painfully and her breath caught in her chest. Almost against her will she moved forward, her eyes seeking the identity of the person who was so easily succeeding where all her efforts had failed. The false bliss of chosen ignorance was no longer an option; she had to know.

The brown haired woman was smiling, her hand resting on Kyou's arm. The gesture itself was innocent enough unless you knew of Kyou's reluctance to be touched. That he allowed her hand to remain there and even, she noted with another flash of pain, placed his own on top of it for a time told her more than she wanted to know. She turned from the scene on shaking legs, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

She stumbled through the lunch hour crowd, forcing her attention on not bumping into anyone. It became the most important thought in her mind, as though the merest brush might shatter the thin casing of calm that she had surrounded herself with. She barely noticed the scenery that she passed, didn't see a single one of the many confused and concerned looks cast her way. The only thing that made it's way through the numbing fog was the image of Kyou and the other woman and the irony of her rival now being the one she had been so happy to classify as not a threat all those years ago.

Her hands shook as she unlocked the door. The items she had found so much enjoyment in picking out were dropped in a heap just past the threshold. Eyes blurred with tears, she stumbled through the hall and to the bedroom. Dropping onto the bed, she pulled her pillow tightly against her chest.

Alone with her broken heart, Tohru wept.


	27. Kiss 27: Sweetness

**Kiss Kiss  
****By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#26 – Candy  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Seven  
**_Sweetness_

**x**

Kagura closed the door to her room, leaning against it for a moment with a quiet sigh. Another year, another White Day coming to an end with her feeling disappointed. She had gotten a few gifts of chocolate from family members and friends; two boys at her school had even worked up the nerve to shove their offerings at her, blushing the whole time. It was more than she had expected but she still felt unsatisfied.

She had been hoping that this would be the year that Kyou would finally return her annual gesture in some form. After all, they'd been dating for several months now and she'd dropped hints about it over the past few weeks. As close as they had become, she'd been sure that he would remember and do something to mark the occasion. The certainty that he knew how much it meant to her had kept her from pressing too hard and making a nuisance of herself.

Kagura dropped onto the bed, shifting her tote bag so that it was cradled in her lap. The disappointment wouldn't have been so bad had she not run into Kyou earlier that afternoon. Her heart had raced as he approached as her mind produced a scene of him shyly offering his gift, a mumbled explanation that he'd taken so long because he'd been searching endlessly for just the right thing. The image was so sweet that she'd almost melted at her mental-Kyou's kindness. It had been all that she could do to leave him behind and focus on the real world and watch Kyou's progress towards her. Hope had built and built in her chest and then plummeted to the ground when he muttered a casual greeting and kept walking. She'd been left standing dumbly in the middle of the sidewalk, too stunned and hurt to move.

Kagura shook her head, disgusted with both him and herself. She should have known that displays like giving chocolates weren't his thing; expecting him to suddenly change just because they'd started dating was unfair to him. But that hadn't stopped her from having another moment of breathless anticipation when she'd felt a tug at her side and turned to find him standing there. She'd been just about to gush that she'd been afraid he'd forgotten when she noticed his attention wasn't on her. His eyes were firmly locked on the bag at her side, more specifically on the zipper that seemed to have caught the string dangling from his pants pocket. Upon freeing himself from the offending hardware, he'd given it a dirty look, his cheeks flushed with apparent anger, before walking away without another word.

She flopped onto her back, willing herself to let go of her frustration. If she was going to be happy in a relationship with Kyou, she knew that she would have to make some changes. It wasn't fair to make him pay for not meeting expectations he didn't even know that she had. She couldn't expect him to change the habits of a lifetime in just a few weeks.

Instead of focusing on the things he did that annoyed her, she knew she should work on the things she did that she knew bothered him. She had no right to demand changes of him before she had earned them through her own actions. If she just kept forcing him to become someone else, it wouldn't take long for him to leave her altogether.

The very thought brought tears to her eyes and she fumbled in her bag for a tissue. Nudging aside her wallet and keys, she found her comb and mirror but not the small plastic wrapped package. As she dug deeper, her questing fingers brushed something small and hard and completely out of place. Frowning in confusion, she sat up and pulled it from the depths of her bag. Turning toward the light, she slowly opened her hand. There, resting in her palm, was a single drop-shaped candy wrapped in red foil.

Kagura stared down at the candy in surprise. She knew that it hadn't been there that morning when she'd first packed her bag since she'd cleaned it out beforehand. It also hadn't been there earlier in the afternoon when she'd had to dump the contents and reorganize to make room for her classmates' gifts. So where it had it come from?

She searched her bag but there was nothing else, no card, gift tag, or letter. It was as though the chocolate had just appeared in her tote as if by magic. It couldn't have gotten there by accident; she always kept the zipper closed and her bag close at hand. It hadn't been out of her sight all day, which meant there was no time for someone to have snuck it inside without her seeing them …

Kagura froze, her mind flashing back to her encounter with Kyou on the sidewalk. After he'd passed her, he'd been fumbling with the zipper on her bag. It was possible that he had slipped the candy inside and gotten his pants stuck as he closed it. Or getting caught could have been a cover altogether, a way to explain the tug as he opened and closed the zipper. The blush she'd thought was anger could have just as easily been embarrassment, both being Kyou's standard reactions to expressing his softer side.

She tried to keep herself from assuming too much, knowing that her hope might lead her to believe too quickly. But even after several minutes of careful thought, she really couldn't come up with another explanation. He was the only one who had a reason and an opportunity to do it.

A smile that she couldn't control spread across her face as she looked at the small chocolate. For such a small thing, it held a lot of meaning. This was the first piece of proof Kyou had given her that their new relationship might be as important to him as it was to her. Best of all, he had done it in his own way and of his own free will. While she had given some hints, she hadn't forced him into it, as she might have in the past. He had done it because he wanted to, not because he had to.

And that was the best present of all.


	28. Kiss 28: You Can Go Home Again

**Kiss Kiss**  
**By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#5 – Ano, sa …/ Hey, you know …  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes. 

**Kiss Twenty-Eight  
**_You Can Go Home Again_

**x**

Kyou and Tohru's wedding had been the biggest celebration most members of the Sohma family could remember. Everyone wanted to be there to give the couple their best wishes as they started their lives together. They said it couldn't have happened to more deserving people; they'd both suffered more than their fair share in their short lives. It was inspiring to see them have survived it long enough to find each other and their happy ending.

Kagura had gone to the wedding, to the surprise of many. She hadn't hesitated when she got the invitation, immediately checking that she would come and sending the reply the very next day. Even though it hadn't worked out between Kyou and herself, she still loved him. If he was happy, then she was happy for him. She couldn't think of a reason not to show her approval and share in their big day. Besides, Tohru was also a friend and she wanted to be there for her as well.

If she got a little misty eyed at the ceremony, it was only to be expected. After all, weddings were very moving experiences. And if a brief moment of fantasy had her picture herself in the bride's spot as they shared their first kiss, well, no one had to know that but her. She hadn't gotten too close to the newlyweds, not wanting to crowd them or put any kind of damper on the day, instead waving from a distance with a smile she didn't have to force.

Soon after that, she moved from her mother's house and into her own place. It was a nice apartment, located close enough to her job that she could walk to work. There was even a little diner on the corner that quickly became her favorite place to have lunch. Her life filled up, work during the days and nights out with friends or the occasional date. She was happy, even if everything wasn't exactly how she had always imagined it.

Years passed. Her hard work paid off, earning her a promotion and a raise. She decided to celebrate with a day of hardcore shopping, hitting all of her favorite stores and a few she'd never been to before. Rin and Kisa were her partners in crime, their conflicting personalities playing off each other to make the day more fun than Kagura could have hoped. The sun had set by the time they finished, pleasantly exhausted and each with several bags to carry. After grabbing a late dinner at a diner they all favored, they dropped Kisa off first, unsurprised to see Hiro loitering around her house. Rin was next; the apartment she shared with Haru was less than a mile from the main compound and Kisa's house.

Kagura continued on alone, her steps light despite her tiredness. It had been the most enjoyable time she'd had in a while, wrapped up in work as she'd been. It felt good to get out and have fun and she resolved to do it more often. Her body was just as exhausted as it always did after a long day but it was a much more pleasant weariness. She was humming to herself as she approached her building, a sound that died when a shadowy figure stepped into her path.

A shriek escaped her lips and her bags dropped to the ground before she recognized a sheepish looking Kyou in the dim glow of a streetlight. With a hand pressed against her pounding heart, she struggled to calm herself after the unexpected scare.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, the question coming out sharper than she had intended in her agitation. Kyou hunched his shoulders, his eyes dropping to the ground as a blush colored his cheeks. His reaction made Kagura immediately regret her harsh tone. "I didn't mean that like it sounded; you just startled me."

"Sorry," he muttered, instantly drawing her attention from collecting her bags from around her feet. The Kyou she knew didn't apologize so quickly; he would yell right back at her for not paying closer attention. The hair on the back of her neck rose; something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes squinting through the growing darkness to look for any obvious injuries. "Did something happen? Is Kazuma okay? Is Tohru?" Her voice rose with each question, her distress becoming obvious.

Kyou shook his head, pulling out one hand and holding it up to stop the flow of questions. "They're fine, I'm fine, everyone's fine. It's just …" He exhaled sharply, looking uncomfortable. "Can we talk about this inside?"

The note of pleading that crept into his tone had her nodding without hesitation. She scooped up her bags only to have him slide them from her hands. A little off balance by the unusually chivalrous gesture, she led the way inside and up to her floor. She dropped her keys twice before she managed to open the lock. Stepping inside with more than a little relief, she gestured for him to place the bags by the door and then guided him into the living room.

She'd always thought the room was a good size for an apartment but it suddenly seemed small as Kyou paced the length with long strides. Even with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped, he filled the space with nervous energy. Her eyes followed his path until she was almost dizzy from the movement. Taking a seat in her favorite chair, she looked pointedly at the couch until he took the hint and sat down.

"If no one's hurt, what brings you here?" she asked, unable to be polite and wait for him to get to it in his own time. She almost regretted her haste when she saw Kyou's expression. He leaned forward, elbows braced on his spread knees, his hands dangling and his head bowed. In all her years of watching him, she'd never seen him as he was now. He looked …defeated.

Compassion overtook reason and she leaned forward, her hand coming to rest lightly on his arm. As though in slow motion, his head swung towards her, revealing tortured eyes that forced her to speak over the lump suddenly residing in her throat. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." She tried to infuse all her feelings into the simple statement, to let him know that she would listen without judgment and offer help in any way that she could.

He pulled in a slightly shaky breath but his voice, when he spoke, was even and emotionless. "It's over."

She was about ask what he was talking about when she noticed his attention was focused on his left hand, or more precisely on the ring there. Her eyes widened as realization dawned that he was talking about his marriage. She opened her mouth but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? Should she offer comfort, ask what happened? Or should she just wait until he gave her some sign of what he wanted from her?

Based on her past experiences with Kyou when it came to issues involving emotions, Kagura decided to keep silent for the moment. She wasn't sure why he had come to her but she wanted to make sure he didn't regret the decision. When he was ready, he would let her know what he wanted from her and she would gladly supply it. Hoping to convey her support, she squeezed his arm before leaning back into her own seat. As he gathered his thoughts, she found herself looking deeper into her own.

Her personal feelings aside, she had thought that Tohru and Kyou were a forever sort of thing. They'd gone through so much to be together that it had given her hope for her own future. If two people who had seemed destined to be kept apart could find their way to one another's sides, surely there was hope for the other lonely people in the world. During the months and years that she'd been looking for her own happiness, she'd unconsciously been holding their relationship up as a guide. To hear that they had fallen apart was a shock; their bond had seemed so solid and steady.

Her eyes went to Kyou once more. Judging by his pale face and haunted eyes, he had thought the same thing. She was sure there was a story behind his simple declaration but she refused to ask for it. If and when he was ready, she'd be waiting. Until then, she'd show her support by not pushing him into revealing things he wasn't ready to talk about.

It was only when a clock chimed that she realized they'd been sitting in silence for nearly an hour. It was looking more and more as though any confidences that would be shared wouldn't be coming that night. Making a decision, Kagura climbed to her feet and headed down the hallway. When she returned, Kyou had risen and was standing uncertainly by the window, apparently expecting to be shown out. His tense expression slowly melted into one of gratitude when he saw the stack of pillows and blankets in her arms.

"It's kind of late. We can talk in the morning," she said simply as she began making up the couch. Kyou nodded, standing silently until she finished. It was only when she started towards her bedroom that he finally spoke, his simple "Thanks." conveying more than he knew.

He was still sleeping soundly when she tiptoed past him the following morning. A quick look in the refrigerator showed that a trip to the market was a must if she wanted to offer her guest anything more palatable than aged leftovers and unidentifiable take out. She stole one final look at his sleeping face as she collected her purse from the living room before slipping out the front door.

Kagura set a personal record during her trip through the grocery store. She almost jogged through the aisles, quickly snagging things from the shelves and tossing them into her basket without missing a step. Her choices were made without hesitation as she collected some of Kyou's favorite foods and avoided those she knew he didn't like. It wasn't a conscious decision; it was more like an instinctive reaction to all the knowledge of him that she still had in her mind.

Bags in hand, she headed for home. Although she wouldn't have admitted it, Kagura did feel a flash of surprise when she arrived and Kyou was still there. A part of her had been sure that his coming to her had been a product of extreme emotions and that the light of day would have brought him to his senses. As it was, he was pacing in the living room, the blankets he'd used neatly folded and stacked with the pillows at the end of her couch.

Fighting not to read too much into his expression of relief at her arrival, she awkwardly nudged the door closed with her shoulder. "Sorry to have run out on you but I needed to go to the store," she explained. "I would have left a note but I thought I'd be back before you woke up."

"I'm sorry to be a bother," he said, quickly relieving her of all but one bag. She waved away his apology as they entered the kitchen.

"You're not. I would have had to go whether you were here or not." She placed her bag on the counter where it was quickly joined by its brothers. Kyou took a seat at the table, watching silently as she swiftly unpacked the groceries and laid aside the makings for breakfast before putting everything else away. It was only when two gently steaming plates of food rested in front of them that either of them spoke again.

Kagura spent several bites formulating the best way to broach the delicate subject at hand. In the end, the task was taken from her as Kyou suddenly started talking.

"It was so odd," he said, looking faintly puzzled. "One minute it was just a normal day and the next, everything was falling apart. We got into an argument over something stupid. No," he corrected himself, "it wasn't even an argument. We never have arguments. I do something that bothers her and she sinks into herself, making it her fault, blaming herself. She does something that annoys me and I want to yell but I can't because I know that she'll just sit there and take it. And so I swallow it. I bite it back and keep it inside until it just sits in my stomach, all burning and heavy.

"And we're both standing there yesterday, both wallowing in what we've done to ourselves and then our eyes meet and we don't even have to say it. We both know that it's over." He looked up and she saw an echo of the lost little boy she once knew in the expression on his face. "How can we not be enough to each other to make it work when we have a connection like that?"

Kagura pushed her plate aside, her appetite gone. She folded her hands on the table in front of her as she gave his question serious thought. She knew that there was no true answer; love was by definition a thing that defied explanation and reason. Kyou just needed some kind of reassurance and she wanted to give him the best that she could.

"I think," she began slowly, "that sometimes things just happen that aren't anyone's fault. It's a result of a million different circumstances coming together in an unexpected way. Things that are deep and true and seem like they should go on forever don't hold up while hopeless things that should wither and fade remain as strong as the day they were formed. There's no logic to it all; it just is as it was meant to be."

She wasn't sure if she had gotten her point across as eloquently as she might have wished but Kyou nodded, seeming to understand what she meant. The lines that had come into his face during his speech softened a bit and he relaxed into his chair. She relaxed as well, thankful that she had been able to offer some kind of reassurance, no matter how inarticulate.

Kyou returned to his meal and Kagura took an absentminded bite of her own, her thoughts turning to more practical matters. Knowing him as she did, Kagura was certain that the biggest hurdle he would face in getting through the situation would be not blaming himself. If he could accept that it was something outside of his personal control, she was sure that he could work it out. The only problem would be in making sure that he didn't sink into one of his moody sulking fits, which meant seeing that he wasn't left alone with himself for long stretches of time before he got a handle on the situation.

"So," she began casually once he had pushed his empty plate away, "what are your plans?"

Kyou's expression flashed from surprise to thoughtful. Bracing his elbows on the table, he leaned forward. "I'm not sure. Once we agreed it was over with, I completely stopped thinking. I didn't make any plans or even bring anything with me. I just started walking and found myself here."

Kagura wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. He might have come to her instinctively knowing she would look out for him or simply because he wasn't being rational enough to think better of it. She decided to believe that it was the former rather than the latter and moved on to the next order of business. "I don't think Kazuma would have a problem with you taking time off from the dojo, so work isn't an issue. I'm sure he'd love to have you stay with him, too."

Kyou shook his head. "That's the first place anyone would look for me. I'd rather stay off the radar for a while, until this whole thing settles down a bit."

Kagura nodded her understanding. "Well, you're welcome to crash on my couch for as long as you like. It's nothing fancy but you'll have your privacy while I'm at work and we can hang out or not when I'm home. I can pretty much guarantee no one will be looking for you here."

He stared at her from across the table, his serious, focused expression reminding her sharply of another statement offered while children played in the background. "Thank you, Kagura."

As she jumped to her feet to collect their dirty dishes and hide her suddenly burning cheeks, she fought for control. Kyou had come to her as a friend and she wasn't going to betray the trust that that action had put in her. She would do all that she could to help him through this tough time and never let on what she was all too quickly learning.

She was still in love with him.

**x**

Kagura quickly found that she enjoyed having Kyou there when she got home from work. The simple routine of sharing her day was fulfilling in a way that she never would have suspected. She told herself that it was just because she'd been so much time alone after a lifetime of being surrounded, whether she liked it or not. It was a lie but a comforting one, allowing her to continue in the role of caring but emotional uninvolved friend.

Sometime over the first few days, Kyou had made a trip to his home and gathered some of his things. It became almost routine for her to have move his shaving cream to find her lotion or to grab his toothbrush by mistake. They were the little acts that she had missed out on, never having lived with a man before.

They spent most of their evenings together playing games and watching movies and sometimes just talking. The friendship that they had allowed to fade over the years came back, stronger than ever before. This time it wasn't burdened by secrets or lies; they were just two people who genuinely cared for one another and had a lot in common. Kagura was grateful to find that her violent outbursts seemed to be a thing of the past. Even after she relaxed enough to stop being on guard at all times, there was no return of waking from a black out to find a broken and bruised Kyou at her feet.

Kyou camped at her house for two weeks before he started easing back into his old routines. He and Kazuma worked out a new schedule and he began looking for his own place, having gotten word to Tohru through Shigure that she could stay in their house until further plans were made. Kagura was pleased with his progress but a little worried at the lack of communication between him and his wife. She knew that neither of them could truly move on until they sat down and talked things out at length.

That was an opinion she kept to herself, not wanting to rush Kyou into something that he wasn't ready to face just yet. But two months after his unexpected appearance outside her building, something happened that made it unavoidable.

Even after he moved into his own apartment closer to the dojo, Kyou had continued visiting her a few times a week. This practice had evolved into a regular movie night with them taking turns at choosing the movie. Kyou had a habit of bringing gory horror flicks just because he knew they freaked her out. He would wait for a particularly creepy part and then startle her, bursting into laughter as she shrieked and jumped. The movie he had chosen that night was extra blood-drenched and Kagura was determined to remain alert for his usual antics. She spent the first twenty minutes throwing sideways glances at Kyou, watching for any twitch or unexplained movement. Slowly but surely, the whisper of plot drew her in, pulling her attention to the screen and away from her fellow audience member.

She was clutching a pillow and leaning forward when the TV darkened before suddenly flashing blinding light as a ghostly form leapt into view. Kagura gasped, reflexively jerking back and away from the screen. At the same moment, a hand landed on each of her shoulders from out of nowhere. The double attack ripped a scream from her throat, slightly muffled by the pillow she had buried her face in. As she tried to pull away and look behind her at the same time, she went sliding from the couch and on to the floor.

The movie was forgotten as she looked up at Kyou where he was sprawled across the couch and laughing so hard that he could hardly catch his breath. With a cry of retaliation, she grabbed the pillow that had fallen with her and threw it at him with all her strength. When it didn't even cause a moment's break in his amusement, she tried to get the pillow back to attack again. Seeing her intention, Kyou quickly latched on to the pillow himself, causing an impromptu tug-of-war.

Now laughing herself, Kagura braced her feet against the bottom of the couch and gave one final, massive pull. The pillow came toward her but Kyou, refusing to release his hold, came with it, hitting the floor with a satisfying thud. Kagura giggled, considering it a fair enough revenge. Bracing her elbows against the floor, she lifted herself enough to see Kyou. He was glaring at her with the one eye that wasn't currently buried in the carpet.

"Draw?" she offered, fighting another burst of laughter at his disgruntled expression. She took his grunt as agreement and pushed into a full sitting position as Kyou did the same. He rubbed his elbow, the apparent source of the thump. When he looked at her accusingly, she wagged a finger at him. "Serves you right, always trying to scare me. Just for that, I think I'm going to pick a movie I know you'll hate for next time."

Kyou rolled his eyes. "We both know that you like these movies as much as I do; you're just too chicken to watch them alone."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself. Anyway, I think we're done with this for the night," she said, leaning across him to hit the stop button on the DVD player. She got halfway through the motion and froze, not having realized beforehand that the movement would stretch her across Kyou's lap. They were nose-to-nose, so close that almost all she could see of his face were his striking eyes. Time seemed to freeze as she held her breath, caught in a feeling of expectation and apprehension. She knew that something was going to happen although she wasn't sure what. That question was answered when Kyou's eyes darkened and she felt him press his lips to hers.

During the years that she had chased him, Kagura had kissed Kyou several times. They'd hardly been the most romantic of gestures given that he'd been trying to run each time. Even so, they had been meaningful to her and given her something to base her dream kisses on. Those schoolgirl fantasies had nothing on the real thing. She felt Kyou's hand come up to twine in her hair as he deepened the kiss. His other arm found her waist, pulling her closer until she was pressed against his chest, tight enough to feel his heart beating along with her own. The world seemed to fade away, leaving her in a place where there was nothing but the two of them and time ceased to exist.

It was only when the music for the movie's closing credits swelled from the TV that Kagura came back to herself and realized what she was doing. Kissing Kyou was wrong for so many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he was still, for the moment, a married man. She pulled away, dismayed to find herself feeling shaky and out of breath.

"This can't happen," she said, getting to her feet and pushing her hair out of her face. She knew she must be a sight, her lips slightly swollen from the pressure of his own but she didn't care. Some things needed to be said before they crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. Even if it was going against what both of them wanted in that moment, she had to be the voice of reason to keep them from hurting each other.

"Kagura," he began but she quickly cut him off.

"No. Just, no." She softened her tone, trying to sound less shook up than she actually was. "Look, I know that this was just one of those things. I'm not going to go and put more importance on it than is actually there. This is a confusing time for you and I totally get that. But you have things that you need to deal with before you even think of going in this direction. Have you even talked to Tohru since you left?"

His dirty look was all the answer that she needed. "See? How can you call anything over when you can't even talk to the other person who's involved in it? This isn't something that you can just ignore until it goes away. Even if you and Tohru don't want to be married anymore, that doesn't mean you can disrespect her by pretending that she doesn't exist. Forget the ending and remember that you guys were happy together once and go see her."

She took a deep breath and pushed her own feelings aside to go on with what she knew he needed to hear. "Who knows? Maybe you just needed some time apart and could work things out now; maybe it is over and you're both ready to let go. If you keep hiding, you'll never know and you'll never be free to look for anything else."

She wasn't surprised when he stormed out without another word or when he didn't come by for several weeks. She'd thrown a lot of things at his head and although she wished she could have done it a bit more gently, that didn't make her points any less valid. She could only hope that the time apart would allow him to see that she had meant well and make it possible for their new friendship to resume.

**x**

The day that Kyou showed up on what had been their usual hang out night looking pale but pleased she knew that he had finally taken the last step. She didn't ask and he didn't volunteer many details but she knew that he had put in motion the final step of this particular journey. She later heard through other family members that a divorce was in the works although things were being handled amicably enough. They were going to sell the house they had shared and both go their separate ways. The only reference to this that she got from Kyou directly was his intent to find some land near the dojo and begin building his own house. She wasn't sure if this was a comment meant to let her know he was moving forward or just to explain why he wouldn't be around as much. Either way, she saw it as a positive sign.

Over the next six months they got together two or three times a month. Their conversations became more and more personal and Kagura found herself sharing things that she had never told anyone else before. Even with this new closeness, there were no repeats of the movie-night kiss. She told herself not to be disappointed, to accept his friendship and count herself lucky to have it. Every time she found herself wishing for more, she called to mind the years of not having Kyou in any role in her life. It was sobering enough to bring both feet solidly back down to earth.

As the work on his house progressed, Kyou showed it off like a proud parent. He walked her through each room, telling her the measurements and what he had planned for it. Kagura came to love it, feeling just as excited as Kyou about each newly completed project. When the time came to add fixtures and furnishings, he asked for her help and she gladly agreed. They spent countless hours going through catalogues and searching stores, looking for just the right pieces to make it perfect.

Kyou barred her from visiting just before it was finished, saying he wanted to surprise her with the end result. She waited impatiently for two weeks until he called, asking her over for the official first dinner in his new home. The day seemed to creep by as she watched the clock, counting the minutes until she could leave without looking too eager. Even so, she was a good twenty minutes early when she knocked on the freshly painted front door.

Kyou answered so quickly that she knew he must have been watching for her. He looked every inch the proud host in a button down shirt and dress slacks as he showed her into the dining room. The table was neatly set, twin white candles burning in the center. Kagura smiled at the thought of Kyou playing homemaker, her earlier nervousness fading.

"So do I get a tour?" she asked, playfully raising an eyebrow.

"Dinner first, tour second," he answered, leading her to her seat. The meal was simple but delicious, a silent testament to Kyou's hidden talent for cooking. Conversation was almost nonexistent as they ate; Kagura was anxious to see the house and assumed Kyou was feeling the same about showing it off. They finished eating quickly, carrying their dishes to the kitchen where he began her tour.

Side by side, they walked slowly through the now furnished house. Kagura silently catalogued all the changes that had occurred during her absence. He had finished installing all the cabinets and brought in all the furniture. Everything looked how she had pictured it in her mind when they were planning it. She was suitably impressed; she had left a house and returned to a home. There was a slight pang at the knowledge that as much as she wanted it to be, it wouldn't be her home but she pushed it aside. It was a lovely building, one that she would look forward to visiting when she was invited.

The tour ended in the master bedroom, set as it was at the back of the house with a view of what would soon be a garden. She smiled as she saw the curtains and bedding that she had chosen already in place, looking just right against Kyou's choice in paint color. Although sometimes it took some compromise, it looked like their personal tastes went quite well with one another. Kagura drifted to the closet, noting the hardware that it had taken Kyou two days to decide on. She trailed a finger down the polished surface, unsurprised when the light pressure caused the door to move on well-oiled tracks, revealing the inside of the closet.

The empty closet. Kagura frowned, wondering why he'd had the official first dinner if he wasn't actually finished moving in yet. She turned to Kyou, curious. "Didn't you bring your things in yet?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't quite ready. There are a few things I still need to do before I can move in completely."

Kagura thought back to the tour, trying and failing to think of anything that looked incomplete. "Everything looks so perfect, I can't imagine that anything is missing."

"There's one thing I can't move in without."

"What's that?"

"You."

Kagura froze, knowing she couldn't have possibly heard what she thought she'd just heard. She had to be hearing things because the Kyou she knew could never say what she'd obviously just imagined he'd say. Her confusion must have been clear on her face because Kyou took her hand and led her to the bed. With both of them sitting on the edge, he began to explain.

"Back when we had that fight, you said a lot of things that I didn't want to hear. The fact that everything you said was also true just made me even angrier. I was thinking that you had no right to question me or what I did or didn't do."

"Gee, thanks," she muttered.

"No!" He paused, obviously struggling to put his thoughts into the proper words. "What I mean is, you're not afraid to tell me what I need to know, whether I'm gonna like it or not. You're honest with me and I know I can be honest with you. This past year has shown me that you're the best friend I've ever had. You were there for me when I needed you and especially when I thought I didn't need anyone. I know that I should be happy with just that but honestly, I want more."

He smiled faintly. "It was actually talking Tohru that made me see it. When I went to see her, we talked about what we'd been doing. She was surprised when I said I'd been staying with you. I tried to explain that I'd just wound up at your place without thinking but I think we both knew that was a lie. Consciously or not, I knew that you would be the one to understand without asking a million questions. But the more that we hung out, the more I realized that you were so much more than that. Without the pressure of you chasing after me, I got to see another side of you. You're fun and funny and nice and I honestly enjoy being around you.

"As I started working, I kept thinking of you. Would you like the window on the left or the right? Would you think the living room should be a rectangle or a square and would you rather have the kitchen in blue or green? The whole time I was building this house, I was building it for you. For us."

Kyou took a deep breath, looking nervous for the first time. "I know that I have a lot of issues in my life right now but I'm not hiding from them anymore. If you'd rather wait until everything is resolved, I'd understand but I needed to know that you knew how I feel. I love you, Kagura, and I can only hope that you love me too. Will you marry me?"

They were the words she had been waiting most of her life to hear, coming from the one person she wanted most to say them. For that reason, Kagura hesitated before accepting them. Kyou had just gone through a rough time and she had been by his side during it. It was only natural for him to form an attachment. How could she be sure that this wasn't just a rebound thing that would fade and hurt them both?

She looked up with a torn feeling inside, prepared to burst the sweetest bubble she had ever found herself inside. The sight of Kyou's face made all of her questions die on her tongue. Despite his earlier nervousness, his expression then was calm, without a hint of unease or desperation. His eyes were the deep, gentle eyes of someone who knew what they were doing and who was sure that the end result would exactly what they wanted. He had obviously given the whole thing a lot of thought, even anticipating her biggest objection. It didn't seem like the behavior of someone acting impulsively or for the wrong reasons. His gaze held hers steadily, lovingly, and without impatience as she thought things over. And so she said the only thing she could have while looking into eyes like that.

"Yes."

**x**

In the end, they both agreed that they shouldn't rush into anything. They were going to take the time to enjoy their engagement and make sure that there would be no doubts before the big day. To her surprise, Kyou seemed to take the extra time as an invitation to go about a belated courting. Although he drew the line at fussing over wedding details, he was happy to escort her to the various shops. The only one he refused to enter was Ayame's, a nonnegotiable condition that Kagura was all too happy to grant.

She had just met up with him after a long conversation with said cousin about dresses when Kyou suddenly jerked to a stop. Kagura looked up, trying to see what had caused such an unusual reaction. She was more than a little startled to see Tohru just a few feet away, an equally unsure looking Yuki at her side.

Kagura had made sure that Tohru knew about the wedding, thinking it was only right that she should deliver the news herself. The conversation had been a bit stilted but not nearly as bad as she had feared it might be. She had left the meeting with the hope that they would all someday be comfortable around each other, if not the best of friends.

However, a planned meeting was completely different from an unexpected run in on the street. All four of them remained frozen for several long moments while the crowd of people divided to go around them. Kagura could tell from their expressions that Tohru and Yuki were feeling the same sense of not knowing what to say or do. She couldn't see Kyou's face but she felt his sudden stiffness. She groped blindly for his hand and gave it what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze.

There were a few moments of light conversation with Yuki and herself doing most of the talking. Although Kyou and Tohru responded to comments directed at them, neither seemed eager to jump into the exchange. They were all obviously feeling the awkwardness of the situation and quickly ran out of things to say. With goodbyes liberally tinged with relief, they started to go their separate ways.

Just seconds before the other pair walked out of earshot, Kagura was surprised when Kyou turned. His grip on her hand tightening, he called out to Yuki and Tohru. "Hey, you know, we're having a lunch at that new restaurant downtown on Saturday. You guys should join us."

A moment passed so slowly that it seemed like an eternity. Yuki and Tohru drew to a halt and turned to face them as though in slow motion. Kyou's hand was squeezing hers so tightly that Kagura could feel her fingers going numb. Her own breath had caught in her throat as she waited …and waited…

"That would be nice. Thank you." Surprisingly, it was Tohru who spoke up, bowing her head politely as she did. When she looked up again, Kagura saw that the worry that had been hovering about her had left. She looked happy at the invitation, as though she had just been waiting for a sign that it was okay for her to be all right with the situation. Kyou also seemed to relax; his grip on her hand remained but eased noticeably.

When they parted, Kagura couldn't help the smile on her face. There had been a part of her that worried about being so happy if that happiness came at the expense of someone else. Tohru had said she was all right with their engagement but a part of Kagura had wondered if it was just her accommodating personality showing itself again. Actually seeing the younger woman's reaction had convinced her of its genuineness. It was another bit of weight off her shoulders, making the future she was facing seem even brighter.

It just went to show that you could plan as much as you wanted but life would do what it was meant to do. And for that, Kagura couldn't be more grateful.

**x**

**A/N:** The drabble set that this fic is based on can be found under the same name in "Drops in the Bucket: Fruits Basket".


	29. Kiss 29: The Joys of Parenthood

**Kiss Kiss  
By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#17 – Kilohertz  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Twenty-Nine  
**_The Joys of Parenthood_

**x**

"She thinks I'm an idiot, doesn't she?"

Kagura looked at Kyou in surprise, wondering where the odd comment had come from until she caught sight of the paper in his hand. Their daughter's birthday was coming up in a few days and Kiko had made sure to write down what she wanted. Having seen the rather detailed description earlier that morning, it took a lot of effort for Kagura to keep the smile off her face. "She doesn't think you're an idiot; she just wants to make sure she gets exactly what she wants for her birthday."

Kyou gave her a look that said he wasn't buying it. "She wrote down color, size, brand, accessories…"

"Those are normal things to mention."

He continued as though she hadn't spoken, waving the paper in agitation. "Weight, shape, megabytes, functions, kilohertz, screen size, display color, bar code number..."

Kagura looked at him with a raised eyebrow, calling him on his exaggerations. "It doesn't say all that."

"Practically. She even put down what store and the aisle number. The aisle number! Like I can't find my way through a store I've been to a hundred times."

Kagura turned back to the sink to hide her smile. "Maybe she just wanted to save you some time; you've certainly complained enough about how much you hate going to those stores."

"She drew a map."

At that, Kagura lost her battle, giggling into a dishtowel. She'd known the meticulous list was going to send Kyou into a fit; she just hadn't thought it would be quite this funny to hear.

She heard him put the paper down and stalk across the room just before he gripped her waist and spun her around to face him. His body pressed tight against hers from knees to chest, Kyou glared down at her playfully. "You find it amusing that my daughter thinks I'm stupid?"

"She doesn't think you're stupid. She just thinks you're old and forgetful." Fresh laughter rolled from her throat as his expression hovered somewhere between shock and outrage. Apparently taking offense at her enjoyment of the moment, he growled. Without releasing his grip, he lifted her off her feet and turned. She felt the counter brush the back of her legs before she was lowered onto it, Kyou now standing with one of his spread legs on either side of her knees.

"Old and forgetful? She never does anything like that to you and you're two years older than me."

Too amused to find insult in his comment, she shrugged. "Probably because I'm not the one that's gotten crotchety in my old age."

"Crotchety?" His voice had dropped and roughened, a tone she had come to know as his "challenge accepted" voice. She wondered just what challenge he had found to undertake until she felt his breath on her cheek. A shudder worked its way through her body as she waited to see what he would do next.

She wasn't disappointed. With his eyelashes brushing butterfly kisses against her neck, she felt his mouth lightly graze her ear. "I seem to recall there was something I used to do that was quite good at making you change your mind. Now what was it again? My poor, old mind can't seem to remember…"

Kagura's hands slid up his arms until they framed his face, all humor dimming as she drew his lips down to meet her own. Even after nearly twenty years of marriage, he could still take her breath away with the simplest touch. The fiery natures that everyone had assumed would cause trouble for their marriage had, over the years, leant themselves to more pleasant facets of their relationship. Aside from the first year of getting used to spending so much time together, the majority of their flare ups were of an intimate rather than an argumentative nature. It was just one of the many things she had come to feel grateful for since saying "I do."

"Oh, that's just gross, you guys," came a disgruntled voice from behind them. Reluctantly pulling apart, they found the subject of their earlier conversation eyeing them with mild disgust from the doorway. Kiko shook her head as she stopped to steal an apple from the bowl by the sink. "Do you have to do that where people can see you?"

Her eyes fell on the paper lying at the edge of the table and she immediately switched from disgusted to excited. "You got the list!"

"Yes, I saw it."

"And?" Kiko asked, obviously having caught the odd tone to Kyou's voice. She watched him with cautious eyes, biting her lower lip as she always did when she was unsure what was about to happen. Kagura felt the same way; after hearing his irreverent ramblings earlier, she had no idea what he might decide to say.

"You don't see anything wrong with that list? Anything that might make me a little upset?" Kyou asked, his remaining offense showing itself only in a slightly sarcastic undertone that Kiko didn't seem to notice. She frowned down at the list, apparently checking for errors and omissions.

"Of course!" She looked up, genuine regret on her face. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I should have known that this wouldn't work for you. I'll go print a new copy right away." She smiled as she hurried out of the kitchen, calling over her shoulder just before she disappeared from sight. "This time I'll use a bigger font, okay?"

Kagura quickly slapped a hand over Kyou's mouth before he had a chance to reply.


	30. Kiss 30: First Kiss

**Kiss Kiss **  
**By** _Lady of the Ink_  
**Pairing: **_Kyou and Kagura Sohma_  
**Fandom: **_Fruits Basket_  
**Theme: **#30 – Kiss  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.

**Kiss Thirty  
**_First Kiss_

**x**

Kyou walked silently into the kitchen, coming up behind Kagura where she stood at the counter. She gave a startled little cry as he wrapped one arm around her waist while the other swiped a freshly chopped piece of carrot from the pile in front of her. She scoffed as he popped it into his mouth and began to chew.

"If you're that anxious for dinner, you could always help me with the cooking, you know."

He smirked, resting his cheek against hers as he stole another bite. "No thanks."

"I didn't think so. Could you at least herd the kids into the dining room? I think Taro's out back so make sure he washes up when he comes in. Kiko's with Akira in the living room; since their practicing ran long, he's staying for dinner."

Kyou grunted at the mention of Yuki's son. Ever since Kiko had gotten the lead in the school's latest play, she had been spending a lot of time with Akira. If he wasn't hanging around their house, Kiko was over at his. Even when the boy himself wasn't around, he seemed to be all Kiko wanted to talk about. If he had to sit through another night of "Akira this" and "Akira that", Kyou was sure he was going to be sick. She might be fifteen but she was still his little girl and that meant that she was too young to be crushing on boys.

He moved away from Kagura, giving her waist a gentle squeeze as he did. "That I can do." Walking to the backdoor, he called Taro in from the yard, ruffling his dark hair as he ran past on his way to wash his hands. The nine-year-old had inherited not only his mother's looks but her frenetic energy as well. He went from morning to night without slowing down, a trait that would have worried his parents more were he not the epitome of sweetness. Unlike his sometimes-temperamental sister, he seemed to possess none of the devilish natures that had long plagued both his parents.

Smiling to himself, Kyou continued down the hall, pausing for just a moment until he made out the sound of running water through the open bathroom door. Satisfied that Taro was doing as he'd been told, he headed for the living room to get Kiko and Akira.

**X**

"So he walked in on it?"

Kagura smiled and nodded, reaching for her drink. "He came shooting back into the kitchen like he was on fire. It was actually pretty funny."

The rest of the women around the table laughed, obviously picturing the scene in their heads. It wasn't everyday that a father accidentally witnessed his daughter's first kiss.

"Akira came home really agitated. He was sure Kyou was going to come looking for him." It was Machi's turn to smile. "It took Yuki an hour to get him to tell him why he kept looking out the window. It was so cute."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "How did he know that Kyou knew? Did they see him?"

"No, but it wasn't like Kyou was trying to hide his feelings. He kept glaring at Akira all through dinner and then he practically threw him out the door. It wouldn't have taken a genius to figure it out. As soon as he was gone, Kiko looked at Kyou, stomped her foot and yelled 'Daddy!' before locking herself in her room for the rest of the night. That was two days ago and she still hasn't talked to him."

"How's he taking it?" Kisa, always the sensitive one, asked. Kagura had a feeling that she might be storing information for the years to come when her own daughter hit that age. As alike as their personalities were, it was quite possible that Hiro would react in much the same way that Kyou had.

"He's as bad as she is, stomping around the house muttering half sentences." She affected her best Kyou-like voice. " 'In my own house.' 'She's mad at me!' 'That damn rat.'" Kagura tilted her head to the side. "I haven't figured out yet if he means Yuki or Akira when he says that."

"You seem awfully happy about having two grumpy people around."

"It's just so adorable to see big bad Kyou being such a protective daddy." And it was. She remembered back to when they'd first learned she was pregnant with Kiko. Kyou had been so worried that he wouldn't be a good father since he'd had such a poor example. Even reminding him that he'd had Kazuma to learn from hadn't eased his anxiety.

"_I don't think I'm cut out for this sort of thing."_

"_You felt the same way about being a husband and look how well this has turned out."_

"_That's not the same. You knew what I was like before we got married and loved me anyway. I don't know the first thing about how to make this baby like me."_

_Kagura had smiled, wrapping her arms around him. "You don't have to _do _anything. Just be yourself and love him or her no matter what and everything will be fine. Besides, I'll be right there with you the whole way. We'll learn together."_

She pulled herself back into the moment at hand and picked up the conversation where she'd left off. "Besides, Taro's a boy which means this is the only chance I'm going to get to see this. It won't be the same when he starts dating."

There were nods of agreement around the table. While Kyou obviously loved both his children, it was equally clear that Kiko was daddy's little girl. They'd often joked about how difficult he would make it for any boy that wanted to date her; they'd just never expected that it would be one of their sons who was forced to deal with him.

Machi asked the obvious question. "Do you think he'll get better with time?"

"He'll have to. Kiko will never forgive him if he scared Akira off. She's crazy about him."

"I think he feels the same way about her. He's been asking if we think she'll get in trouble because of him. I know he wants to ask her out; he's just afraid Kyou will …" she trailed off uncertainly but Kagura cheerfully finished her thought.

"Trounce him before he gets the chance? At this point, that's a distinct possibility. Even after all the work I've put into him, he still has a few rough edges, especially when it comes to protecting the things that he loves. It's actually an endearing quality when it's not annoying. I'm going to have a little talk with him this evening, just to make sure he sees he overreacted."

When the small gathering broke up an hour later, Kagura slowly walked toward her home. Her thoughts were on how quickly the years had passed without her really noticing. It seemed like just yesterday Kiko and Taro had been toddling around the yard chasing butterflies. They had grown up so fast, changing from small, helpless bundles into real people with unique personalities. Sometimes it scared her so much to see them, so adult and mature, that she wanted to lock them up and keep them with her forever. Unlike Kyou, however, she knew it was an impossible dream. The day was coming when she'd have to let them go to make their own ways in the world. All she could do was make sure they knew their parents would always be there for them, no matter what.

A feat that would be much easier once Kyou got himself under control. Pushing away the philosophical thoughts, Kagura focused on her plan of attack for getting him to accept Kiko's dating. It wouldn't be easy, she knew, but she could manage it. A few reminders about giving their daughter space to grow and acknowledging that she was almost an adult and old enough to make her own decisions should do the trick. If they didn't, she could always bring up a certain other first kiss, one that was much more intense than a chaste peck in a parents' living room.

With a wicked smile on her face, Kagura quickened her step. She couldn't wait to get home.


End file.
